Masking the Regret
by kazoquel4
Summary: *sequel to Masking the Pain* When Percy returns to New York, everything is different. Annabeth seems like she's ready to move on, and the new girl, Rachel, has hinted at her feelings for Percy. When Percy learns that he and his friends are once again in danger, he has to do the impossible- rally them together to fight the new evil. AU/ No gods. A bit OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Here is the sequel to Masking the Pain! If you haven't read that story yet, you will not understand this one, so go to my page, click it, and read! Then you may return and join us… thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson… sadly…**

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**Chapter 1**

Percy's POV

"Happy birthday to you!" sang my best friend, waving my blue cupcake in the air.

I sighed, a smile playing on my lips. "Hazel, I was planning on eating that, you know?"

Hazel raised an eyebrow, her frizzy brown hair framing her dark skin. "Well then," she huffed, "I go to all this trouble to make you special birthday cupcakes, and I don't even get one?"

I glanced over at the table laden with blue frosted cupcakes. "Can't you have one of the other hundred you baked?" I asked. "And, you know, maybe _give mine back?_"

Hazel frowned thoughtfully, looking down at where I lay sprawled on the couch. "Fine," she said decisively, "but only because it's your birthday." She deposited the cake in my hand before turning and walking back over to the table, searching for a good cupcake.

"Hey, Perce," called Dakota, "can you toss me another Kool-Aid?"

I gave him a quick examination. You see, Dakota had a kind of… drinking problem. But the strange thing is, it's with Kool-Aid. He rarely puts the stuff down, and is in a continuous sugar high which makes him seem almost drunk half the time.

"How many have you had?" I asked.

Dakota rolled his eyes, his lips stained with the red drink. "Dude, it's a party. Now pass me a Kool-Aid."

Chuckling, I reached into the ice bin and tossed him a can. My friend eagerly snapped the lid and took a sip, tilting his head back to get the full effects.

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow," Frank said from where he sat across from me. He cast a formidable shadow with his bulk and muscled body, but his face was rather babyish in contrast, and he didn't care much for violence.

I sighed, picking up a bit of blue frosting on my finger and popping it in my mouth. "I know," I sighed, "I can't believe it either. Has it really been four months?"

Reyna let out a small snort. She was sitting in a chair off to the side, her arms crossed and her posture erect. Her black hair was braided down her back, and she was wearing a white and purple dress that showed off her curves.

"Four months? You've caused enough trouble to last a year, Jackson," she said, raising an eyebrow at me.

I gave her a crooked grin. "I made this place more fun."

"It's definitely been… interesting," Gwen said pointedly, her blond hair thrown up in a messy bun. She was halfway through her own cupcake, licking the frosting off.

"I think you're being a bit generous there," Reyna said. "Percy has made it absolute _mayhem._"

"I have not!" I defended myself.

"Well, there was that time that you skateboarded into the water fountain…" Hazel trailed off, coming to sit next to Frank on the couch across from me.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, is that the best you can-"

"And don't forget you hit an old lady on the way and brought her in with you," Frank interrupted.

I opened mouth, ready to shoot back a witty response. But then I remembered something: I don't _have _witty responses.

"Whatever," I muttered, sitting back and moodily poking my cupcake. "I thought this was my birthday? Isn't everyone supposed to be really nice and like, worship me?"

Dakota actually laughed out loud. "Worship you?"

Everyone else joined in with his laughter, except for Reyna, who allowed herself a small smile. Hazel entwined her hand in Frank's, smiling up at him. I was pleased to see the two so happy as a couple (they had, after all, had a crush on each other for _ages_- all they needed was a bit of… prodding… from me to get them going), but I was still miffed about the whole 'worship' thing.

"That's it," I said, standing up, "I'm out of here."

I turned and resolutely started marching towards the door, still holding my cupcake.

Gwen laughed again. "Oh, come back, you drama queen."

I spun around, glaring at them. "I'm not a _drama queen!_"

"Is he in denial again?" asked a deep voice from the other room.

Poseidon came in, lugging grocery bags behind him. My father set them on the counter before turning and smiling at everyone.

"Hey, Mr. Jackson!" Dakota called, looking up from his drink.

"Hello, Mr. Jackson," Hazel said politely, returning my fathers' smile.

Poseidon chuckled. "Hello, everyone," he said. "How's the party going?"

"It was going great until they all turned on me," I muttered, disgruntled.

Poseidon ruffled my hair and walked over to the snack table, leaving me to glare at the back of his head. He swept his gaze over the mounds of food on the table, blinking at it all.

"You guys went all out," he said, taking in the blue cupcakes, blue corn chips, bowls of blue jelly beans and blue M&M's, blueberries, and the big bowl of blue punch.

"Percy likes blue," Frank said simply.

"Understatement of the century," Reyna muttered.

"I've realized," Poseidon said, grabbing a handful of M&M's and popping them into his mouth.

"Mr. Jackson, do you and Percy have to leave?" Dakota asked. "You both can crash at my place if you can't stay here, my dad won't care. He's gone half the time anyways."

"Dakota, he can't stay," Gwen scolded, shooting a glare at her friend. "Haven't we gone over this like, a billion times?"

Dakota shrugged, peering into his drink to see if there was any left. "I dunno, did we?"

"I have… unfinished business back in New York," I said, wincing slightly. Gods, I was _not _looking forward to what was going to happen when I got there.

"Percy's got to go see his girlfriend!" Frank said, grinning at me. I shot him a glare as Reyna pursed her lips, looking pointedly at Dakota in disapproval as he hurried over to the ice bucket for another can of Kool-Aid.

Reyna and I… well, I wouldn't say we had a 'thing', but she definitely had feelings for me. She had pretty much told me and invited me to be her boyfriend. And I _did _feel _something _for her… I just wasn't sure what. I could have easily accepted her invitation; I'm sure we would have made a fine couple. But it felt like cheating, almost, even though I knew I had already broken up with my other girlfriend. I don't know, it just didn't feel right…

So Reyna and I had kept it as just friends. It was pretty clear she didn't exactly like that, but she agreed to not push it and instead we just hung out and chatted. We ended up becoming excellent friends, though I could tell she still liked me, and I still wasn't sure what I felt for her.

"Yes, well, it doesn't matter that Percy's going back," Hazel said, breaking the frosty silence that had spread across the room, "because we're all visiting him over break, right?"

There were murmurs of agreement from the assembled party. Both of our schools had a sort of 'winter/fall' break, starting in the last week of November and stretching into December. Everyone was going to come to New York and stay with me for two weeks, as a sort-of reunion. Gwen, ever the eager one, was already planning things out for everyone to do.

"Oh, it's going to be so much fun," Gwen said, fingering the string on her hoodie. "We _have _to see the Empire State building, I've always wanted to go, and let's go skating in Central Park and-"

"We get it, Gwen," Reyna sighed. "You've been going on and on about it ever since we _planned _it-"

"Oh, all right, I get it," Gwen snapped. "So I'm a bit excited; can you really blame me? We're going to _New York_ in a couple of months! America!" Her British accent seemed to be exaggerated as she spoke, grinning at me.

I chuckled. "You have no idea how many people say the same thing about London," I said, my American-accent sticking out like a sore thumb.

I guess it wasn't entirely American though, however. Four months of being around people who only speak with British accents has taken its toll on me. My speech is a bit different, and when I'm talking, I will occasionally find myself lapsing into their accent; I had noticed that my dad did that as well. It just came with living here, I guessed. My friends find it quite amusing whenever I do that, and are constantly poking fun at me when it occurs.

"Yes, but America's so…" Gwen trailed off dreamily, sighing. It was her dream to go visit America. Her mother had been born there, and when she had died when Gwen was eleven, she had made it her mission to visit the place where her mom had grown up. She hadn't gotten that chance until now, and she was absolutely ecstatic about it.

"Just ask your dad if you can move to America," Dakota suggested.

Gwen frowned. "I tried."

"Of course you did," Hazel said, laughing.

Poseidon watched them all with a smile. "Alright, I'll leave you kids alone," he said, "I have some packing to finish. Percy, are you done?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Dad. I told you this morning, I'm done."

Poseidon held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright," he said. "Our plane leaves at six; I just want to finish up now so we can get some extra sleep in the morning."

"Six?" Frank asked in surprise as Poseidon walked back upstairs. "You didn't tell us you were leaving at six!"

"I didn't?" I asked, smiling nervously. "Well, I'm leaving at six tomorrow."

Hazel frowned. "But we were going to have breakfast! We were going to say our goodbyes at our café!"

I shrugged apologetically. "Dad told me this morning, I thought we were leaving later. I didn't want to spoil the party."

Reyna sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Percy…" she trailed off exasperatedly.

"But that means we have to say our goodbyes tonight!" Gwen said. "And the party ends in half an hour; we have to say goodbye to you in half an hour!?"

"Thanks, Perce," Dakota muttered, downing his fifth can of Kool-Aid.

I groaned, throwing my head back. "I said I was sorry, okay? It slipped my mind!"

Hazel sighed, leaning into Frank's side. "It's alright, Percy," she said, "you just forgot."

Suddenly, Hazel leapt up. "Oh my gosh! We totally forgot to give him our present!" she said, her hair flying.

I stared at her. "Um, Hazel? You already gave me my presents." I gestured over to the pile of pool floaties and squirt guns that my friends had given me as a joke.

"No, we have another for you," Gwen said, standing as well. She walked over to our broom closet and stuck her head in. "Ta-da!" She emerged with a large box wrapped in bright blue paper, complete with a big white bow.

I slowly shook my head as she handed me the present. "You hid my birthday present in my own broom closet?" I asked incredulously.

"That's where the cleaning supplies are, we knew you'd never look in there," Reyna said reasonably. I shot her a glare.

"Well, open it!" Hazel said, smiling at me. "It's from all of us."

Sighing, I started to rip it open. "You guys didn't have to," I said, dropping the wrapping paper to the side and slitting the box. "You already got me presents."

"Yeah, but this is different." Hazel sat down next to me, eagerly watching over my shoulder as I popped the box open.

Frowning, I reached in and picked out a rectangular piece of wood. Flipping it over, I saw it was a framed picture of me, Hazel, and Frank at the park, sitting next to our favorite fountain. I had my arms slung around both of them, and we were all grinning up at the camera.

"What the-" I reached in and pulled out another frame. This time it was of me and Reyna at the movies. I was holding her drink out of reach with a lopsided grin on my face. Picture-Reyna was smirking, using one hand to pull down on my shoulder and the other to reach up for her drink.

"They're pictures of all of us!" Gwen said happily. "We got them from our phones and stuff and had them framed. We knew you'd miss us _so _much, we decided to give you little mementos to remember us until we visit."

I stared down at the pictures; there must be more than a dozen in there. Uncharacteristically, I felt myself choke up a bit as I skimmed through pictures of my friends and I over the last four months. I couldn't believe that after only a very short time in London, I had gained such great friends. I had even been 'encouraged' by Poseidon to tell them about Gabe a few weeks ago, and they had reacted… well, they had been supportive after they had finished cursing Gabe.

"Thanks, guys," I said quietly. "I'm going to miss you."

Smiling sadly, Hazel took my hand, leaning against my shoulder. She was younger than me by two years, and was like the little sister I never had. "We'll miss you too," she said quietly.

"Aww," Dakota said, wiping his mouth. He gave me a smile. "GROUP HUG!" he shouted, leaping forward and crushing me in a hug.

Laughing, Hazel jumped out of the way just in time. Everyone laughed at my expense, savoring the last night we'd get to spend together for the next couple of months.

"Okay… _okay_, Dakota, I'll miss you too, now get _off_," I laughed, pushing my friend off.

There was a buzz, and Gwen tugged her phone out of her jeans, staring down at the screen. "Shoot, I have to get home," she muttered.

I glanced at the clock. 8. The party was over.

"Right," I mumbled. "You should all get going."

Slowly, everyone gathered their things. I stood by awkwardly as Dakota tossed the rest of the Kool-Aids in one of my empty birthday present bags and Hazel tossed the candles she had borrowed from her parents back into her purse.

When everyone was ready, we all stood awkwardly in a circle. Eventually, Gwen sprang forward, wrapping me in a hug. "You're skyping me every night," she ordered, talking into my neck. "And I'm going to text you all the time, and we can e-mail, and-"

"I know, Gwen," I said. "Trust me, I'm not going to forget any of you."

Gwen pulled back, giving me one last watery smile. "I'll miss ya, kid," she said, reaching up to ruffle my hair.

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "You're six months older than me."

"Exactly!" she said. Sighing, she stepped away. "Bye, Perce. Good luck back in New York. I'll see you all tomorrow," she called to the rest of the group. Shooting me one last look, she slipped out the door and into the cold night air.

Dakota was next. Stepping forward, he gave me a quick hug. "Bye, Perce," he said. "See you in three months."

With a last salute, he trooped out the door after Gwen.

Frank and I exchanged quick good-byes, promising to keep in touch and what-not. Then Hazel flung her arms around my neck, tears escaping her eyes.

"Oh, Percy, I'm going to miss you so much," she said, holding on to me tightly.

I hugged her back just as tight, shutting my eyes. "I'll miss you too, Hazel. But don't worry, I'll 'skype you every night and text you all the time and we can e-mail-"

Laughing, Hazel pulled back and smacked my arm lightly. "You're impossible," she muttered, sniffing.

"I know," I said cheekily.

Smiling, Hazel leaned up and gave me a short, sisterly kiss on the cheek, just like she always did. "See you soon, Perce," she said, taking Frank's hand. I watched as they walked out of the house, headed home.

That left only me and Reyna. She stood there, arms crossed, staring at me with a calculating gaze.

I cleared my throat. "So," I said, awkwardly scratching the back of my neck. "Er… bye?"

Reyna shut her eyes briefly. "You're an idiot, Percy," she said.

I dragged my lips into a half-smile. "So you've told me," I said.

Reyna opened her mouth, hesitating, then shut it. "I'll miss you," she muttered.

"I'll miss you too," I immediately said, thankful that the awkwardness was starting to dissipate.

Reyna gave me one last once-over, sighing. "Oh, alright," she said, stepping forward and wrapping her slim arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her waist and for a long time we just stood there, not speaking.

Finally, Reyna pulled back ever so slightly, so our faces were still very close, our noses almost touching. She stared straight at me with her sharp brown eyes, our breathing evenly paced.

Suddenly, I pulled away. Reyna dropped her arms to her side, glancing down at the floor.

"Bye, Percy," she said, before turning and hurrying out.

I stood there, staring as the door slammed shut behind her. After a few moments, I let out a frustrated noise and ran a hand through my hair. Why did everything have to be so complicated? I didn't know what I felt for Reyna; was she just a friend, or a little bit more…?

I tried to picture us dating, kissing, doing anything more than hanging out, but I just… I couldn't. Every time the image was even half-formed, it would halt. I couldn't imagine being anything other than friends with Reyna, just like I couldn't with Hazel or Gwen. Our relationship was just too… sisterly. But…

I sighed. I knew what my final decision was.

I loved Reyna.

But as a sister. She was a great friend, and really fun to be around when you got past her hard exterior, but I don't think we'll be anything other than really good friends. I know she respects my decision, and she'll definitely get over me soon.

"Percy? Are you packed?"

I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"_Yes_, Dad, I am _packed!_"

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**A/N: *squeals* I am so excited for this story! I just had to bring in the Romans, didn't I? Yes, I did. Sorry if they were a bit out of character, but eh, they're in the story! **

**I was ****_going _****to wait longer to post this, but I was just too eager to hear everyone's opinions. A lot of you liked the 'Masking the Regret' title, so I just went with that. I hope you all liked this chapter! The next one will be entirely Annabeth's POV :3**

**Oh, and opinions on the cover? I edited Masking the Regret's cover into that. What do you guys think, should I keep it?**

**On a completely unrelated note, I got a recommendation to a science and math camp over the summer. It's a week-long scholarship program on a college campus- I get to spend a week in a dorm with a roommate and learn all this science and math stuff! I'm not in yet, though. There is a VERY good chance I won't get in… you have to get a nomination from a science or math teacher, and they have to write about you (check), you have to submit an essay (check), and, if you get past that stage, you have to go into an interview. It's college preparation in a way, an all-girls camp. I'm excited (if I actually get to go :/)**

**So, yeah! And I started the second year of my Marauders' fanfiction, which I'm super duper excited about. If you haven't read it (and have read Harry Potter), go! This is the year they find out Remus is a werewolf… ; Dyes…**

**Okay, I guess that's it! I'll have the next chapter up soon, please leave a review, and thanks for reading!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Annabeth's POV

I frowned down at my paper, pausing in my sketching. A strand of blond hair fell out from my messy ponytail, dropping across my eyes, but I ignored it as I contemplated the design before me. Everything had been going fine until I realized that the square footage of the house I was designing was a few feet larger than the area of land it was being built on. I didn't want to start over again, but I just wasn't sure how I could fix it; I had already gone so far.

I felt like snapping my pencil. After all this work, a few measly feet were throwing me off. It was ridiculous! If I wasn't so stubborn, I would have simply enlarged the land statistics, but I was determined to make this building worked, despite the stupid area of land it was being built on.

Of course, it wasn't a _real _house. Architecture is kind of an obsession of mine and, with nothing to do over the summer, I had designed dozens of houses on paper that would probably never make it to real life. My portfolio was full to bursting with carefully drawn up sketches and ideas for new buildings.

Flexing my fingers to get rid of the cramping that had been building up while I worked, I scanned the sheet of paper. The sun overhead beat down on the back of my head, burning the back of my neck. But I ignored it as I focused on my work. I could always shave a few feet off of the kitchen, but then I would need to expand it into the living room to make up for the lost room. And if I took room out of the living room, I would have to-

"I'm telling you, she was totally into me!"

I winced as the sharp voice hit my ears. Glancing down the sidewalk meandering through the park, I noticed a group of kids walking towards me. Leading them was a curly haired Latino who looked far too peppy, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he walked.

The girl next to him snorted. She was completely beautiful, but in that 'I-don't-care-what-I-look-like' kind of way. Her brown hair, which was interspersed with feathers, was pulled into a sloppy braid that draped across her shoulder. Her eyes were a kaleidoscope of colors that I couldn't exactly place; it was hard to focus on one part of them for too long. She didn't wear any makeup, but she obviously didn't need it.

"Sure, Leo," she said in a doubtful voice, rolling her eyes.

Leo shot a look at her. "Hey, it's the truth, Piper," he said, nodding importantly. His angular features and look of sly cunning made him look like an elf in a way.

A boy took a step forward, coming to walk next to Leo. He was very handsome, with short blond hair and electric blue eyes. The only thing that marred his features was a small scar on the corner of his lip, which he had reluctantly told his friends he had gotten when he had tried to eat a stapler at the age of two.

"According to you, all girls are in love with you," he said with a slight British accent.

Leo seemed prepared to argue some more, but suddenly he caught sight of me sitting on the bench. "Annabeth!" he said, hurrying forward. "Can you please tell them that I'm so awesome, all girls are into me?" he cocked his chin out, grinning.

Thalia came up behind him, looking exasperated. "Unfortunately, Leo, Annabeth doesn't believe in telling lies," she said. "Now will you please shut up?"

Leo pouted. "Jason!" he called back to the blond haired boy, "Your sister's being mean to me!"

"Suck it up!" was his only response.

"Fancy seeing you here, Annabeth," Grover said, hobbling forward. He smiled at me, which I returned with ease. "Whatcha doing?" he asked.

"Sketching," I said, motioning to my drawing.

"You designing another space station?" Nico asked, peering down at my sketch pad.

I snatched it away from him, snapping it closed. "I have never, nor will I ever, design a space station," I said, rolling my eyes. "They aren't my style."

"But I thought architecture meant like, all buildings," Leo said, frowning. "Do you mean to tell me that there are different _styles_?"

Someone needs to get this boy some help. "Yes, Leo," I said patiently, "there are different styles of architecture."

Piper sat down next to me, draping her arms over the back of the bench. She leaned back her head and shut her eyes, letting the sunlight fall on her face. She looked like a model, sitting there so peaceful and calm.

Leo seemed to have the same idea. "Ooo, Piper's practicing for her modeling gig," he teased her.

Piper's eyes shot open, and she glared sharply at him. "I am _not _taking _any _of those jobs!" she snapped at him. "The last thing I want to be right now is a model."

Since moving here four months ago, Piper had received at least twenty invitations and recommendations for modeling agencies. Just walking down the street was a challenge because of all the people stopping her and asking if modeled, and, if she didn't, where she could get a job as one. It drew Piper absolutely crazy.

"I don't see why not," Thalia said, taking the remaining seat next to Piper. "You have the looks and the body, and it would be a little extra money in your pocket. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me."

"Yes, but I don't _want _to model," Piper said, pulling a face. "I already get enough attention because of my dad; I don't need any more because I'm a stupid _model. _Besides, imagine how much makeup I would have to put on…" Piper shivered slightly.

Piper's last name was McLean. As in, _Tristan _McLean, the famous actor who had just received his fourth nomination for actor of the year. If you happen to live under a rock or something, he's one of the most famous actors out there. Even the most culturally sheltered people have heard about him and would recognize him on the streets. And Piper was his daughter.

Although Piper loved her dad, she found his constant fame taxing and annoying. She didn't want to be known as just 'Tristan McLean's pretty daughter'. She wanted to be known for who she was; she wanted to be known for Piper, not her looks or famous father. That's one of the reasons she tries to downplay her beauty so much. That and because she couldn't really be bothered with it, a habit of hers that greatly irked her mother, Aphrodite, the most well-known designer in the fashion world.

Aphrodite and Tristan had divorced shortly after Piper had been born, and Piper had only actually met her twice. Each time Aphrodite had attempted to dress her up like a Barbie, toying with her hair and recommending colors to match her ever-changing eyes.

"Piper isn't going to be a model, guys," Jason spoke up. "She's not that type."

Piper beamed at him. The two were in a sort of awkward pre-relationship phase. They both had major crushes on each other, and Piper would be happy to date him, but something was holding Jason back. He hadn't spoken it out loud yet, but Piper had surmised that there was another girl in the equation that he hadn't mentioned yet.

Thalia, on the other hand, laughed. "Yes, but you are," she said. "Why didn't you accept their offers, little bro?"

Jason shot a glare at her, but didn't retaliate, causing Thalia's smirk to grow even wider.

I was surprised at how easy they already acted around each other, despite only having known each other a few months. Thalia and Jason were siblings, but they had been separated when Jason was only two years old when their parents divorced. Their father, Zeus, had taken Thalia, while their mother had taken Jason and moved to London. The two hadn't had contact with each other until four months ago, when Jason's mother had died in a car crash and Zeus had been forced to take Jason in.

I was extraordinarily surprised to hear that Thalia had a brother. Of course, I didn't exactly hear it from Thalia. The two of us went through a few weeks of non-speaking after our initial fight right after… _he _had left. Grover had tried desperately to stay friends with both of us and hopefully mend our relationship, but nothing was working. Nico, being the wise one, had stayed completely out of it, only sparing enough breath to call us both idiots.

Eventually, Grover had simply called me to have lunch with him, not telling me that he had invited Thalia as well. We were both shocked when we showed up and found ourselves face-to-face for the first time in weeks. To spare getting beat up, Grover had hurriedly introduced Thalia's brother Jason and his new friends Piper and Leo, which had resulted in forcing me to be polite.

After that, Thalia and I had tolerated each other's presence. We still weren't back to our old friendship, but we were able to have conversations with each other, despite how sarcastic they sometimes got. Piper had been a big part in us reconciling as well, once she had gotten the information about our fight from Grover. She had invited us over to a sleepover at her house and had helped us (or forced, whatever you would call it) create a tense companionship.

But I doubted whether our friendship would ever be the same. I wished that I could just apologize, but my pride wouldn't allow it. She refused to plead forgiveness as well, which resulted in a horrible stalemate between the two of us.

"I don't see why I don't get offers to modeling agencies," Leo said, pulling something out of his pockets. "What has Jason got that I don't?"

"Good looks," Piper said, her cheeks reddening slightly as she talked about Jason.

"You're mean," Leo muttered, tinkering with a few screws and a piece of metal. His hands worked quickly, flying around the metal as they twisted them into some fantastic creation.

Leo was ADHD. And when I say that, I mean in the most extreme case possible. I mean, I had minor ADHD, which made it hard for me to focus sometimes, but I have absolutely _nothing _on Leo. The kid can't sit still for a single second, and seems to be always in a constant state of motion. He always carried around things to mess around with in his pocket. I think he even has to move while he _sleeps_; frankly, it wouldn't surprise me. He was like a ticking bomb that could be set off at the slightest touch.

"I'm hungry," Nico suddenly blurted out bluntly, as was his usual fashion.

"Sucks for you," Thalia muttered.

"I'm pretty hungry too," Grover said. "Why don't we go grab lunch at Vincenzo's?"

He was, of course, referring to Vincenzo's pizzeria, the most popular pizza place and hangout around. It was our regular place to eat, and had earned Grover's permanent respect with its eco-friendly goals and vegetarian options.

"Yeah!" Leo said, beaming. "Let's go!"

Jason turned to me. "Want to come?" he asked politely.

I glanced longingly at my sketchpad, but Piper cut in for me. "Of course she does!" she said, yanking me to my feet and ignoring my glare.

After I had tossed my sketchpad into my bag, we set off to the restaurant. Everyone was chatting happily about anything that came to mind, while I walked next to them, keeping to myself.

This was often what I was stuck doing in their group. We were all friends, and they made an effort to include me, but I just wasn't as close as they were. Perhaps if Thalia and I had been on better terms, things would be different, but the rift between the two of us resulted in a rift between me and the rest of the group as well.

I had kept to myself most of the summer, now that I thought about it. I was pretty content to simply sit in my room and draw all day, or read a good book. I'll admit things weren't as exciting as I would have hoped, and there was something missing, but I wasn't about to admit it. I was perfectly happy on my own. I was fine.

"Annabeth!"

"Huh?" I asked, snapping myself out of my thoughts and looking up. Piper was watching me with a bemused expression, eyebrows raised.

"We're here," she said, motioning to the restaurant. "You've been on another planet for the last five minutes. What were you thinking about?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Life?" It was more of a question.

"That's pretty deep," Leo said seriously, nodding.

Rolling her eyes, Piper shoved him towards the door. "Get inside, Repair Boy," she said, using the nickname she had made up when he had repaired her broken bike in only ten minutes.

Leo marched into the restaurant, closely followed by Jason and Nico. I was the last to finally enter, pushing open the door and stepping inside. I was immediately washed in a wave of cool air. I was relieved that the building had a working air conditioner; I had been in too many stores and cafes this summer that were boiling hot and stuffy.

Vincenzo's Pizzeria was a retro-looking restaurant, with red upholstered booths and metal tables. Overhead, speakers blared the newest songs, powered by a flashing jukebox in the corner. It was relatively crowded in there, as always, but we managed to find an empty table. Leo dove in army-style, but the rest of us slipped in much more gracefully.

"Man, I'd hate to be in the pick-up line," Thalia commented, glancing over at the long line that had formed at the counter of people waiting to pick up the pizzas they had already ordered over the phone.

"Yeah. Imagine waiting. In a line!" Leo shivered, grabbing a menu from the middle of the table.

"Oh, yes," Piper said, rolling her eyes, "the horror. Making the great Leo wait in a line? Preposterous!"

"Exactly!" Leo said.

Thalia flicked him in the back of the head.

"Ouch!" Leo said, grabbing his head and shooting her a look.

I reached for a menu. Grabbing the laminated paper, I flipped it over, skimming through the contents. I wasn't looking for something really heavy to eat, so I would be turning away from the deep-dishes for today. Maybe just a slice of cheese pizza with plenty of olives; my favorite, even if it made my friends wrinkle their noses. It wasn't my fault I liked olives!

"Hey," Jason said suddenly, "isn't that Percy Jackson guy due to come back any day now?"

The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees as everyone instantly stopped talking. Grover awkwardly twisted a napkin in his lap while Nico messed around with the crushed red peppers.

I gripped the menu so hard my knuckles started turning white. Not taking my eyes off of the print, I tried to ignore the conversation, but the words seemed to hammer into my head.

Shooting me a furtive look, Thalia responded, "Yeah, I guess so," in a tense voice.

"Awesome, I want to meet him!" Leo said, completely oblivious to the mood and the glare Piper was sending him. "He sounds really cool. And he headed off to London the week you came here, right, Jason?"

"Yeah," Jason said, leaning back in his seat.

"That's so weird," said Leo, nodding so his brown curls bounced around.

I stared at menu, reading 'Italian Thin Crust' over and over again without actually comprehending it. For the past four months, I had completely forgotten about Percy. Or, at least, I tried to. I couldn't really help it if my thoughts strayed to him, which they often did, but thinking about him just made the waves of hurt and betrayal wash over me again. My friends had avoided saying his name altogether; they had had minimal contact with him as it was, and had decided it was better to not upset me by going around throwing his name out into conversations.

"Yeah, it's really weird," said Thalia shortly. "Now-"

"You called him lately, Grover?" Leo went on, twirling one of his spoons in the air.

"Seriously?" Piper hissed under her breath. I myself was about ready to strangle the moron.

"Not lately, no," Grover muttered. "Haven't talked with him much the past few months."

Leo shrugged. "'Spect he's busy and all that stuff. London's a really big place. Didn't you used to date him, Annabeth?"

My head shot up. I opened my mouth, ready to start yelling at Leo for being such a thick-headed, oblivious little idiot. But I caught the door opening out of the corner of my eye, and the last person I expected to see walked in.

Thalia had seen the person too. She gasped, her eyes widening.

"Oh my god…"

* * *

**A/N: Didn't you all miss my cliff-hangers? I know I did! Mwahaha!**

**Wow, more than 100 reviews just on the first chapter! Thanks so much, everyone! It'd be totally fine if, you know, we did it again for chapter two… what did you think so far? Not as much character development as I would have liked, but we'll have more of that later.**

**Who do you think the person walking in is? I'm really super excited for the next chapter, and I have it all planned out. Be ready for a really fast update, because when I'm really excited about one of my stories, I write fast. So, yeah.**

**Thanks for all the amazing reviews; they're really appreciated! Please, please take the time and leave me one for this chapter too. It would mean so much to me to know who's out there reading this!**

**Thanks for reading, everyone! I'll get the next chapter up very soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Percy's POV

"Percy!" Poseidon hollered from downstairs.

I dropped my head back against the pillow, closing my eyes. "What?" I yelled back.

"I need your help!"

Groaning, I threw my feet over the side of my new bed and clambered to my feet. Boxes were spread all around the room, most of them unopened. The walls were already painted a light blue, courtesy of my father. The bed was already covered in dark blue sheets, the only thing I had gotten around to unpacking.

"Percy!"

"I'm coming!" I shouted, opening the door.

Poseidon had gotten them a rather… _large _house. In fact, it was huge. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, a computer room, and like, seven closets scattered around. I had been extremely surprised when we had gotten here; surely we didn't need that much space? But my father had simply smiled and didn't answer when I had asked about it. I had a feeling he had done it for me.

I thought it was amazing. Where we had stayed in London was nice, but it was nothing like this. Everything was open, spacey, and airy. The complete opposite from where I used to live with Gabe.

Trailing my hand along the wooden banister, I walked down the stairs. Poseidon was bent over a box in the living room, rifling through the papers inside.

"Yeah?" I asked, entering.

Poseidon stood up. "There you are, Percy. I left a box in the car; can you go get it?"

"Dad," I complained, "I'm unpacking!"

Poseidon raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Really?" he asked doubtfully.

I let out a huff. "No," I muttered.

"Didn't think so," Poseidon said. He pointed at the door. "Box. Now."

Shooting him a crooked grin, I walked over to the front door and opened it. Shutting it behind me, I stepped out into the warm air, leaping down the front steps.

You couldn't even imagine how good it felt to have a father figure in my life after all these years. I had been considerably wary around him for the first month, something that obviously bothered him. I hadn't actually started calling him 'Dad' until just two months ago. Actually talking to him was a problem for a while. We had lived in silence for a few weeks, unsure of what to say to each other. Eventually, we had grown more comfortable, and began exchanging words. After that, we had managed to make a really good relationship with each other. And although I still woke up in a dead sweat from nightmares and would occasionally flinch away from his touch out of pure habit, I had come to trust my father. And now that he had retired from his job, he was content to spend almost all of his time with me.

Our car was parked in the street. Walking over to it, I popped open the trunk and peeked inside. Sure enough, a huge box sat in the corner, untouched.

"Oh, great," I muttered, tugging it towards me. Hefting it into my arms, I realized with dismay that it blocked most of my vision. Of course, he _had _to forget the largest box…

I slammed the trunk and teetered up the curb and onto the sidewalk. Shuffling an inch at a time, I crossed the small walk, trying to find my blind way to the door.

"Need some help?" said a voice to my left.

Shifting the box so I could see who was talking to me, I saw a thin girl about my age watching me with a slight smile. She had curly red hair and bright green eyes that shone out from her face. A streak of blue paint was dashed across her cheek haphazardly.

For some reason, my stomach did a little flip when I saw her. She wasn't dressed to impress; her jeans were tattered and full of holes, and her shirt was splattered all over with paint. But she seemed so casual and laid-backed, and just… pretty. This girl was really pretty.

"Could you?" I asked gratefully.

Shaking her head, the girl hopped up my front steps and pulled open the door. I walked up and dropped the box in the doorway before straightening up. "Thanks," I said, running a hand through my hair.

The girl grinned. "No problem. You just move in here?"

"Yeah, this morning," I said. Holding out my hand, I introduced myself. "Percy Jackson."

The girl grabbed my hand, shaking it firmly. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare," she said.

Her hand was soft. "Do you live around here?" I asked, letting go of her hand and shoving my own into my pocket.

Rachel pointed off down the street. "Just down there," she said. "Where'd you move from?"

"Well, I've lived in New York my whole life. I went to London for four months, though, just got back," I explained.

"Yeah, I kind of guessed," she said. When she saw my confused expression, she added, "Your accent. You sound British."

"Do I?" I asked, frowning slightly. "Guess it kind of rubbed off on me."

"Oh, it definitely did," Rachel said with a slight laugh. "But don't worry; boys with accents are cute."

I felt my cheeks growing red, and quickly cleared my throat. "So, uh- you're taking a walk, huh?"

I know, I know. Pathetic. But what else was I supposed to say?

Rachel was kind enough not to comment on my change of topic. "Yeah," she said, "just wanted to get out of the house. My folks are out of town for the next two weeks, and it gets kind of lonely in that big house. I think better outside, anyways. It's more peaceful."

"Oh," I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "Well, if you want to have lunch with my father and I, we always have room for one more. I wouldn't want you to be lonely all day."

Rachel immediately protested. "No, you don't have to. I don't want to intrude."

I laughed. "Please, I was just going to pick up some pizza. You wouldn't be intruding at all."

Rachel still looked kind of doubtful. "Well… I guess…"

"Great!" I said cheerfully. I wasn't sure why I was so happy she was coming over for lunch, but I was. "I just need to call in our order and we'll pick it up."

I led her inside, grabbing the box on the way in. I heard Rachel trail behind me as I walked back into the living room, dropping the box by my dad.

"Ah, Percy, you got the box," Poseidon said, turning around. When he caught sight of Rachel, he raised an eyebrow. "And you found a girl…"

My cheeks flushed again. "Dad, this is Rachel," I said. "She lives down the street. I invited her for dinner."

"Well," Poseidon said, walking forward and shaking Rachel's hand, "it's nice to meet you, Rachel."

"You as well, Mr. Jackson," Rachel said politely.

"I'll call Vincenzo's then," I said, walking over to the phone. "Rachel, what kind of pizza do you like?"

"Oh, anything," Rachel said, shrugging.

"Anchovies," Poseidon called. I grinned at him, agreeing.

Rachel made a face. "Anchovies?" she asked. "Oh…"

I laughed. "Don't worry; we'll get one cheese and one anchovy. We're like, the only people in the world who like anchovies on our pizza, we're used to people getting grossed out."

"It's not gross, it's just… yeah, it's a little gross," Rachel said sheepishly.

Laughing, I dialed the number, looking at a little sheet of paper Poseidon had picked up earlier today. After a few rings, a worker picked up, and I quickly placed my order. After assuring me it would be ready in twenty minutes, they hung up.

"Alright," I said. "Rachel, do you want to come and pick it up with me?"

"Sure," Rachel said, pushing her bright hair behind her ear.

"We'll be right back," I called to my dad, leading Rachel to the front door.

"Take your time!" he yelled back. "I'll just be… unpacking…"

Rachel and I stepped out into the afternoon sun. I felt it burning my skin, even though I had only been out here a few seconds. "Gosh, it's hot," I said.

"Well, after London, I would think so," Rachel said. "It's hotter here, British boy."

I snorted. "_British boy_?"

Rachel shrugged, kicking at a leaf on the ground. "Well, you're British, and you're a boy. Therefore, I dub thee British Boy."

"I'm not British," I pointed out.

"Well, you sound like it," Rachel countered.

Rolling my eyes, I decided to change the subject. "Are you going to Goode High?" I asked, referring to my high school.

"Yeah," Rachel said. "First year. I've been going to these stupid private schools all my life and finally convinced my dad to let me try public. I'm pretty excited."

She _seemed_ pretty excited. Her eyes brightened, and a happy smile settled on my face. I found myself just staring at her as she talked, mesmerized by how she seemed so focused on whatever she was saying.

"Percy? Percy… hello?"

I realized Rachel had been trying to get my attention. I blinked, coming back to the present. "Huh?" I asked.

Rachel raised her eyebrows. "You kind of blanked out there for a second," she said.

"Oh," I mumbled, embarrassed, "sorry. What were you saying?"

"I-"

She was interrupted as my phone rang. A loud beeping issued from my pockets, stopping whatever she was going to say. Shooting her an apologetic glance, I fished around in my pockets until I grabbed it.

"Sorry," I muttered, pressing answer and holding it to my ear. "Hello?"

"PERCY!"

I flinched away from the phone, holding it a few inches from my ear as the shouts issued from it. Rachel jumped a bit, staring at my phone with wide eyes.

A loud voice was chattering on the other side.

"Percy, I'm so glad to hear from you, we miss you so much, why haven't you called you little-"

"Gwen!" I said loudly, putting the phone back to my ear. "Gwen, calm down!"

"Hey, Perce!" my friend said happily from the other side. "Good to hear from you!" she repeated.

"Seriously?" I asked. Rachel walked beside me, looking pretty amused. "I've been gone, what, a day?"

"A day too long!" Gwen complained. "It's so _dull _here without you."

We reached the front door of Vincenzo's. I pushed open the door, holding it open for Rachel.

"Thanks," she whispered, stepping inside.

"Gwen," I said as my friend tried to tell me everything that had happened that day. "Gwen, I- look, can we talk later, I need to pick up the pizza."

I walked into the retro-style restaurant. It was relatively crowded in there; practically every table was full.

"But Percy-"

"We'll talk later, Gwen," I said loudly, over the din inside the restaurant. "Goodbye."

"Bye!" Gwen said, apparently giving up.

I sighed, pressing the end call button and flipping my phone shut. "Sorry about that," I said wearily to Rachel. "That was my friend from London. She can be a bit…"

"Loud?" Rachel suggested.

"Overeager," I said, grinning. "Most of them are."

"I've never been to London," Rachel said thoughtfully. "I've always wanted to go."

"It's brilliant," I agreed. "Really pretty. A bit cloudy for my taste, though, and I haven't been to the beach in _ages. _That's where I need to go like, as soon as possible."

"You like to swim?" Rachel asked, grinning.

I laughed. "I'm pretty much a fish, honestly. I love water, especially the ocean. My friend used to call me-"

I clammed up, unable to say my old nickname. I hadn't even thought about it for the past four months.

"What?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Nothing," I muttered. "Forget I said anything."

Rachel frowned, but didn't push it. "Isn't that cannibalistic of you, though?" she asked.

I stared at her, completely bewildered. "What?" I asked.

Rachel seemed to be struggling to hold in laughter. "Well, you're a fish. And you're getting anchovies on your pizza…"

My face split into a grin, and I laughed. "Oh, ha-ha," I said, rolling my eyes. "You're hilarious."

"I know," Rachel said cheekily.

"Percy Jackson," a voice over the intercom yelled.

"I'll get it," I told Rachel, heading over to the counter.

The worker behind the counter had two pizzas stacked up. He dialed something up on the cash register. "That'll be $17.50," he informed me.

I pulled out my wallet, handing him the money. "Keep the change," I said, grabbing the pizzas.

"Thanks!" The guy said, grinning at me.

I walked back over to Rachel, balancing the two boxes in my hands. Rachel smirked at me. "Need some help?" she asked.

I smiled at her. "I'm _fine_, Rachel."

"Sure you are," Rachel said, taking the top box from me.

"Thanks," I muttered, walking over to the entrance. I pulled the door open, holding it for her as she exited.

We walked back to my house, chattering about anything that crossed our minds. Rachel was really funny, and easy to talk to. A lot easier to talk to than a lot of _other _girls I knew. I didn't need to think about what I was saying, or if it sounded dumb, or anything like that. She was just so… easy to be with. And I really liked her.

We walked back up the front steps, reentering the house. Poseidon was still looking through boxes, looking irritated.

"Percy, did you pack the drinking glasses?" Poseidon asked.

I frowned. "You were supposed to pack them."

Poseidon sat up, frowning at me. "I told you to pack them. And I _told _you not to forget anything!"

I put my head in my hands. "Great," I groaned.

* * *

Annabeth's POV

"Oh my god," Thalia gasped.

I stared at the front door, my jaw wide open. Someone was holding the door for a very pretty girl with red hair, who stepped inside. And the person that followed her in…

"Percy," Nico gasped.

It _was _him. He was on the phone with someone, and appeared to be with that red-haired girl. She stood by, waiting for him, and he kept shooting her looks.

He had gotten taller over the last four months. His hair was longer, too, as if he didn't cut it (which I don't doubt). Just seeing him again sent butterflies racing through my stomach, and I felt my cheeks grow hot. I gripped the table, fighting the wave of dizziness that came over me at seeing him so suddenly.

He said something into his phone, while the girl stood by, looking amused. Suddenly, his voice cut across the noise in the restaurant, loud enough for us to hear. "We'll talk later, Gwen," he said loudly. I realized that his voice had changed; he had a British accent now. "Goodbye."

He flipped his phone shut, sticking it in his pocket. Then he exchanged some words with the girl, looking apologetic.

"So he _is _back," Thalia muttered.

"Who?" Leo asked blankly, looking around the table at all the solemn faces.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Percy, you dimwit," she hissed at him.

Leo pouted. "No need to be mean."

Thalia shot a look at me, almost as if she were concerned. "Annabeth-"

"Hide me," I said quickly, pulling a menu in front of my face.

"Let's go say hi!" Nico said, moving to get out of his seat.

Thalia grabbed the back of his dark hoodie, yanking him back into his seat. "Sit _down_, Nico," she said.

"Why can't we go talk to him?" Grover asked, glancing over at his old best friend. "He and Annabeth need to talk."

I shook my head from behind the menu. "No," I muttered.

"Oh, come on, Annabeth," Thalia snapped. "I know you're too almighty and whatever to apologize, but-"

"It isn't that," I said quietly.

"Then what is it?" Thalia hissed. "I swear, if it's something stupid-"

"He hates me now, okay?" I snapped at her. "He told me so quite clearly just before he left. And he's obviously very happy with that other girl-"

As if to prove my point, Percy burst into laughter at something his friend had said. I felt a pang go through my heart. I hadn't seen him laugh in forever… and I missed it.

But he obviously didn't miss me.

"He doesn't hate you-" Thalia started to say.

"I don't want to disturb him," I spat. "Let's just… just leave him be for now. You guys will have plenty of time to talk to him later. If I talked to him… it would just mess everything up."

As much as I hated it, I knew it was the truth. Percy wouldn't want to see me after I had behaved to him. I had messed up my chance with him, all because of my stupid temper. It flared at the worst times, and when I was as mad as I had been four months ago, I refused to lose any argument I was in.

"Does he have a British accent now?" Nico said, standing up to get a better view of Percy. Thalia tugged him down again.

"Yes, moron, that would happen after living in London for four months," she said, rolling her eyes, but she too looked kind of pale and worried.

A voice crackled over the speaker. "Percy Jackson."

I stared at him, not letting him leave my eyesight as he picked up his pizza. Just because I couldn't _talk _to him doesn't mean I couldn't _look_ at him, right?

"Annabeth, he's leaving, please talk to him," Grover pleaded.

"No," I said stubbornly. "I don't want to ruin his evening.

"Annabeth-"

"Just stop it!" I exclaimed, standing up. I looked over to Percy. The girl was taking a box from him, helping him carry it, and then the two of them walked out the door.

"I'm going home," I muttered, feeling tears start to sting at my eyes.

"Annabeth, please-" Grover tried to say.

I whirled around, my hair flying behind me. I weaved my way through the restaurant, hurrying towards the door. When I reached it, I threw it open, bursting outside into the bright sunlight. Blinking, I looked around and down the sidewalk, finally finding Percy.

He was a little ways away, walking with that girl. He was laughing and saying something. "Yeah, she went into the water fountain with me," he said in that new accent of his. I heard the girl laugh and respond, but they were too far to make out what she said.

Tears threatening to spill over, I turned the other way and sprinted. I sprinted away from the restaurant, Percy, his new 'girlfriend', my friends- I sprinted away from everything. I knew I couldn't run from my problems, but right now, I just needed to get away for a bit.

I didn't realize I was crying until I was out of breath. I ground to a halt, collapsing on a bench. Hot tears streamed down my face, all the emotions I had held in for the last four months welling up inside of me.

I had been such an _idiot. _Why hadn't I just listened to Percy when I had the chance? He had tried to explain to me why he was choosing to go to London, but I had been too stubborn to see his side of the argument. And now, I had lost him.

Bringing my knees to my chest, I tucked my chin in, staring at the ground. Silent tears streamed down my face, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out everything.

Suddenly, I felt someone squeeze my shoulder. "Annabeth?"

* * *

**A/N: Alrighty, Percy's back in New York! And Rachel is in the story! DUN DUN DUN! She might complicate matters a bit, don't you think?**

**I wrote a bit more into Poseidon and Percy's relationship, and went into Annabeth's thoughts as well, so I'm pretty pleased with this chapter. Who do you think came for Annabeth? I don't know if it's obvious, because I thought of it, so I don't know. But whatever.**

**Thanks for all the amazing reviews! They rocked! Please, keep them coming! I love every single one of you who takes the time to leave a quick review 3**

**Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Annabeth's POV

"Annabeth?"

I glanced up to see Thalia standing behind me. She was looking down at me, an odd expression on her face.

"What?" I asked, hurriedly wiping my tears away.

Thalia bit her lip awkwardly. "Er… you alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, of course I'm fine," I said thickly. "I mean, why wouldn't I be fine? Percy's back in New York, and he hates me because I was an idiot, and he probably has a girlfriend now, and he's all British, and I ruined every chance with him and you and-"

I didn't realize I was crying again until Thalia sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"It's alright, Annabeth," she said quietly.

I buried my head in her shoulder, sobbing. My shoulders shook with the force of my cries, and tears streamed down my cheeks. Thalia just kept me in her hug, not saying anything, but just giving me the comfort I needed at the moment.

Eventually, my sobs slowed. Thalia gently patted my back. "What did you mean, you ruined every chance with me?" she said softly, treating me as if I were a bomb that was could go off at any moment.

I pulled away from her, brushing away stray tears. I could already feel embarrassment welling up in me from my little outburst.

"Nothing, forget I said anything," I muttered, my voice hoarse.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Annabeth, don't even try that. Tell me what you meant."

Taking a deep breath, I stuck my chin up and looked her in the eye. "I don't know what planet _you've _been living on, but if you haven't noticed, we've kind of hated each other for the past four months. Do you recall that fight that we had right after Percy left?"

Thalia's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, I remember it," she snapped. "I remember you acting like a total idiot, and me-"

"Acting like an idiot back?" I shot at her, fed up with everything.

Thalia stood up, a closed expression on her face. "I don't have to take this. See you," she muttered, turning around and walking away.

"Thalia-" I started to say, already regretting my harsh words. "I'm-"

"You're what?" she asked, spinning around. "_Sorry?_ What are you sorry for? Fighting with me for four months? Ending our friendship because you drove Percy away?"

I froze, staring at her. "_Drove Percy away_? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I don't know!" Thalia said, throwing her hands up. "Who really knows the reason Percy left?"

"It was… to spend time with his father," I said, trying to find the words.

"Yeah, whatever," Thalia muttered. "I'm done with you, Annabeth. I don't know what happened to you. You were so much easier to hang out with before this whole Percy thing came up."

"Easier to hang out with?" I asked, clenching my fists. "You never hung out with me at all even before I got close to Percy! Yes, we were friends, but you were too busy hanging out with Nico and Grover and Percy to bother talking to me. Did it ever once occur to you that I might want to join you as well? That I might want a chance at having friends? Oh, but who would want to be friends with such a big nerd?"

Thalia looked shocked. "What?"

"You didn't care about me," I said, shaking my head. "I have never had a real friend, even before this mess. I know I'm just a big mess-up know-it-all, but it- it would have been nice to have someone to talk to these past few months."

Thalia was frowning, looking at me as if she saw me in a new light. "Annabeth-"

"No, Thalia. Head back to your friends. I have to go read a book or something," I said, grabbing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder.

I spun around and sprinted away, in the general direction of my house. I knew I was faster than Thalia when I was running at full-speed, so I wasn't in much danger of being caught by her. I pushed hard, running faster then I'd ever run before- and nearly running headfirst into a hotdog cart while I was at it.

After shouting a quick apology over my shoulder, I continued through the city. I allowed myself to slow down as I reached my block, panting heavily. The strands of hair that had escaped from my ponytail had frizzed out like they always did when I ran, but I ignored them, hurrying up the front steps of my house and through my front door.

I burst inside, slamming the door shut behind me with more force than necessary.

"Annabeth?"

Mathew and Bobby stuck their heads through the living room door. They were both splattered with paint, and had easygoing grins on their faces.

"What?" I asked them tightly.

"Do you want to paint with us?" Bobby asked eagerly. "We're drawing a picture of the ocean!"

I strode past them. "No," I muttered, sprinting up the stairs and ignoring their bewildered expressions.

I walked into my room, shutting the door and locking it behind me. Safely hidden away from my family, I flopped down onto my bed, burying my face in my pillow.

Sometimes I just got really sick of life.

* * *

Percy's POV

Rachel and I were in the kitchen, rinsing our dishes. Poseidon had been pretty annoyed with me for forgetting the dishes, but Rachel had run over to her house and grabbed a couple for us to use. She had even made us keep them, telling us her parents had more than enough. I was all for taking free stuff, but Poseidon had needed a little convincing before he had accepted them.

I placed the last plate in the sink, turning off the faucet. Rachel handed me a dish towel, and I grinned at her and took it.

"Thanks," I said, drying off my hands.

"It's the least I could do. I mean, you bought me pizza," Rachel said, smiling.

"And it was the best pizza you've ever had, of course," I said cheekily, tossing the damp towel onto the counter.

Rachel shrugged. "Eh…"

"Rachel!"

Rachel laughed. "I'm just joking, Percy. It was the most delicious and satisfying pizza I've ever had, of course."

I raised an eyebrow. "Even with the smell of anchovies hanging around?"

"I got used to it," Rachel said, laughing.

We walked out into the living room. Poseidon was already unpacking again, going through boxes and pulling out different trinkets.

"Come on, Dad," I said, watching as he tugged a stack of books out of a box, "why don't you take a break?"

Poseidon sat back, giving me a look. "I'm trying to get everything unpacked in the next few days. If you aren't going to help, it might be better if you and Rachel just went to the park or something. Actually, I would prefer that."

I frowned. "Why would you prefer it?"

"Because you would probably break something," Poseidon said.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Dad. Come on, Rachel, let's go get some ice cream."

Rachel laughed a little. "Alright, Percy. Thanks for lunch, Mr. Jackson."

"You're welcome, Rachel," Poseidon said, smiling at her. "You're welcome back here anytime."

Rachel and I walked out the front door of my new house, dodging boxes lying in our path. It was late afternoon by now, and the sun was starting to sink in the sky.

Rachel and I walked side by side, neither of us speaking. I shoved my hands into my pockets, scuffing my feet as I walked.

"You're lucky, you know?" Rachel said suddenly.

Surprised, I glanced over at her. She was looking straight ahead, focused on the path in front of her.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Rachel glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes. "Your relationship with your dad," she said softly. "You're lucky. I've never had a relationship like that with either of my parents. Sometimes I… well, I wonder what things would have been like if my family wasn't really rich. Would they have more time for me? Would they treat me like an actual daughter? I guess," Rachel said, shrugging, "I just see you and your dad… and you get along so well, and…"

Suddenly, she blushed. "Sorry," she muttered, "I'm rambling."

"No, it's fine," I said, looking in front of me again. The street was deserted; we were the only two out walking. "I guess I am pretty lucky. But, you know, my life hasn't always been all great like this."

"Oh, really?" Rachel asked, looking interested. "Why?"

I shook my head, not meeting her eyes. "I don't want to scare you off this early," I teased, trying to keep the situation light.

Rachel stopped walking, forcing me to a halt as well. "Percy?" Rachel asked, frowning. "Percy, what's wrong?"

"Seriously, Rachel," I said pleadingly, "I don't want to talk about it. Can we just… forget I said anything?"

"Percy…"

"Rachel, please."

Rachel didn't look happy, but she reluctantly nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "Let's talk about public school." A grin spread across her face. "I'll bet it's amazing, right? I've only been to those stupid private schools, with stuck-up snobs." Rachel wrinkled her nose.

I laughed, glad that we weren't on the subject of my old life. "It's public school," I said pointedly. "It's not that great."

We reached the ice cream store. It was less crowded then I thought it would be; there wasn't even a line.

"Excellent," I said, opening the door for Rachel, "no wait."

We walked in, going up to the counter. The guy behind it looked up from his phone. "How may I help you?" he asked, setting it behind him and standing a little straighter.

"Can I have a scoop of strawberry on a sugar cone?" Rachel asked.

"Sure thing," the worker said, pulling out a scooper. After preparing Rachel's ice cream, he handed it to her. "And you?" he asked, turning to me.

"I'll have a scoop of chocolate on a cone," I said, glancing at the tubs inside the glass.

When we both had our ice creams, the guy rang us up at the cash register. "What part of England are you from?" he asked politely as I fished through my pockets for money.

I pulled out the right amount of bills, handing them to him. "The British part," I said, grinning at him.

Rachel snorted. The guy rolled his eyes, tossing the money in the register. "Whatever, smart-aleck," he muttered, turning and going back to his phone.

We walked into the adjoining part of the store with the tables. Rachel made it about three steps before bursting out in laughter. "The- British- part-" she choked, doubling over.

"Careful there," I chuckled, grabbing her ice cream from her before she could drop it.

"Did you see- his face?" Rachel said between her laughs.

"Oh, I saw it alright," I said happily. "It was awesome."

Rachel straightened up, taking her ice cream back from me and grinning. "You're a menace to society," she muttered, taking a seat at an empty table.

"So I've been told," I mused, sitting across from her.

"PERCY!"

Rachel and I jumped. My ice cream nearly slipped off my cone. "What the-" I said, looking around.

"Percy!" a voice called, much closer to me. Two identical, grinning boys jumped into my view, beaming at me.

"Travis? Connor?" I asked, blinking at them.

"Hey, man!" Connor Stoll said, hopping up and down slightly. "We thought you were dead or something! I mean, Grover told us you were in England-"

"But who knows what evil things could happen to you in England?" Travis finished for him.

"We haven't seen you for _months!_" Connor said.

Connor and Travis Stoll weren't twins, but they definitely could be. I forget who was older, but the only reason I could tell them apart was because Travis was slightly taller. They both had curly brown hair and impish, mischievous grins on their faces. They were the known troublemakers at school, and had been good friends of mine for years.

"I went on a little- er- vacation," I said evasively. "This is Rachel," I said, seeing my friend's confused expression. "She's my neighbor."

"Nice to meet you," Travis said brightly. "I'm Travis Stoll, and this is my slightly-less cooler than me brother, Connor."

"Dude, Percy, why the hell do you sound all British?" Connor asked, ignoring his brother.

"I lived there for four months," I said.

"That's awesome!" Travis said. "Hey, do you think we can convince everyone you're a new student when you get back to school?"

I rolled my eyes. "Travis, everyone knows me at school. I don't think that would work very well."

Connor shrugged. "We'll figure it out. We're gonna get some ice cream; we'll be right back."

They marched over to the counter, talking and shoving each other as they went.

Rachel stared after them. "Um…"

"_That's _what public school is like," I said, smiling benignly at her.

"Really?" Rachel asked, almost nervously.

"Still excited?" I asked, licking my ice cream.

Rachel grinned at me. "Are you kidding me? This is going to be awesome!"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter is a little bit short. I have plans for the next chapter, though! I'm pretty sure I'm just going to fast-forward to when school starts, so you'll have that to look forward to.**

**I'm starting an original novel, and I'm going to try and finish it, so I might not be updating this story quite as fast. I'll still be updating, of course; just not every couple of days.**

**Thanks so much for the amazing reviews! I love them all 3 Please continue to leave them! They're a big inspiration.**

**Thanks for reading, and I'll update soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Percy's POV

The days remaining until school began were kind of a blur to me. I helped my dad fully unpack, and we even painted the living room and master bedroom. Rachel, of course, was a big help with that. She's an amazing artist, and she often had to correct my rather… abstract brush strokes.

Rachel. We had grown close over the remainder of summer vacation. Her parents were still gone, so she had free reign of her huge mansion-house thingy. But I had only been there once, and that was to take a quick tour of her paintings. Rachel seemed to want to stay out of her house as much as possible when her parents were gone. Instead, she joined my father and I for meals almost all the time and hung with me the rest of the day. My father had taken a great liking to her, and the two engaged in spirited discussions on a daily basis.

I hadn't yet spoken to any of my old friends; I had just been too busy, what with all the unpacking. Besides, I would see them at school.

Travis and Connor, however, were my own personal stalkers or something. They were always conveniently running into Rachel and I, and continually tried to convince me to pretend I was an exchange student.

"C'mon, Perce, it'd be so fun!" they would whine.

"Do you have a mute button?" I would snap back.

But the two were great, most of the time. They certainly made life more… interesting.

The night before school started, Rachel and I were sitting on my front steps, eating some brownies that Rachel had brought over.

"Alright," Rachel said, taking a thoughtful bite of her brownie. "Would you rather… wear a bikini for the first period of school, or sing opera in front of the entire student body."

I wrinkled my nose. "Really?" I asked.

Rachel smirked. "Answer, Percy."

I grabbed another brownie from the box lying open next to us. "The bikini," I said thoughtfully.

Rachel laughed. "Seriously?" she asked.

I shrugged, a smile playing on my lips. "Why not? I'd look hot in a bikini." I flipped my hair exaggeratedly as Rachel burst into laughter.

"Please get that image out of my head," she choked out, clutching her brownie with one hand and holding her stomach with the other.

"Alrighty," I said, resting my chin on my fist. "Would you rather… be stung by a jellyfish, or have your entire body be sunburned for two months?"

Rachel frowned. "Why do yours always have to relate to the beach?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just answer the question."

"Mmmmm…. Make it one month with the sunburn," she tried to say.

"Oh, no," I said, raising an eyebrow. "It's two months or nothing. Make your choice."

Rachel smiled. "Fine. The jellyfish. As long as it isn't poisonous."

"Of course it isn't poisonous!" I said, shoving the rest of my brownie into my mouth. "Because then you would be dead, and no one would bring me brownies!"

"Is that all I am to you?" Rachel chuckled. "A brownie supplier?"

I shook my head. "No, Rachel, why would you think that?" I said, giving her puppy dog eyes. "You also give me cake." I reached for another brownie.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You should be a comedian, you know that? And enough brownies!" she laughed, shutting the box. "You've had, what, seven?"

"Eight!" I said proudly, giving her a crooked grin.

Rachel shook back her red hair, standing up. "Yes, well, I think that's enough for one night," she said. "Besides, we have school tomorrow."

"I don't know why you're excited about that," I mumbled, clambering to my feet.

Rachel shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I like to learn. Or maybe it's because you'll be there with me." Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking at me with her big green eyes.

I felt heat rising to my cheeks, but I wasn't exactly sure why. "Uh- yeah," I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck. "So, uh, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Rachel looked kind of disappointed. "Right," she said, in a would-be-cheerful voice. "I'll meet you here at eight tomorrow so we can walk to school together."

"Great," I said, practically feeling the tension in the air. "Well, um, goodnight. Thanks for the brownies."

"'Course," Rachel said, hopping down the steps to the sidewalk. She turned around, smiling. "I'll bring the rest over tomorrow. You can have it for lunch."

I grinned. "You know me too well."

Laughing, Rachel turned and headed towards her house. "Night, Percy!" she called over her shoulder.

I waved, even though she wasn't looking. "Night, Rachel," I said softly.

When she had been swallowed by the darkness, I shoved my hands into my pockets and trudged up the steps.

Slamming the door shut behind me, I walked into the living room, dragging my feet. Poseidon looked up from his newspaper, his reading glasses perched on his nose.

"Rachel leave?" he asked.

"Yup," I muttered, flopping onto the sofa.

Frowning, Poseidon set the paper down on the coffee table. "Something wrong?" he asked, peering at me.

I sighed, leaning my head back against the cushions. "Not really," I said. "I'm just kind of… confused, is all."

Poseidon nodded knowingly. "Have you talked to Annabeth yet?" he asked pointedly.

I shut my eyes. "Yeah- um- about that-"

"Percy, you need to speak with her," Poseidon chastised.

I glanced up at him. "I _know,_" I sighed. "I just… I don't know what to say. What can I say? She bloody hates me, and I'm just supposed to walk up to her after four months and say, 'Hi, Annabeth, remember me? Yeah, we used to date before I moved to England. How have you been?'" I laughed without humor. "Yeah, that would score some major points with her."

"You don't know how she'll react," Poseidon pointed out.

I picked at a stray thread on the couch. "Yeah," I said. "That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

"PERCY!"

I tugged a dark blue shirt over my head, struggling to get it on. "I'm coming!" I hollered back to my dead.

Finally managing to get the blasted shirt on, I lunged for my backpack, tossing notebooks and pencils inside.

"Percy, you're going to be late!" my dad hollered up the stairs again.

"I'm _coming!_" I shouted. Jumping across my bed, I leaned over, scrabbling underneath it for my shoes.

"Percy."

"I SAID I'M COMING!" I shouted, spinning around, only to find myself face to face with a very surprised Rachel.

"Alright, jeez," she said, blinking at me. "No need to give me a heart attack."

Sighing, I bent back over, grabbing my shoes. "Sorry, Rachel," I said. "I'm a bit rushed right now."

"I realize that," Rachel said, grabbing my backpack and holding it for me. "I've been waiting outside for fifteen minutes."

I cursed lightly, tugging my second shoe on and standing up. "Sorry," I apologized again. "I-"

"Slept in?" Rachel guessed.

I smiled sheepishly, taking my backpack. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Here," Rachel said, holding a napkin out. "I figured this would happen, so I brought you a piece of toast. You won't have time for much else."

I took it gratefully, but frowned. "What do you mean, you figured this would happen?" I accused.

Rachel laughed, walking out. "Percy, if there's one thing I've learned about you, it's that you're _never _on time."

Grumbling, I took a bite of my toast and hurried out after her.

My dad was waiting in the kitchen. "You're late," he said helpfully.

"Gee, I never would have noticed," I muttered. "See you later."

"Have a good day at school!" Poseidon called after us as we hastened down the steps.

"It's 8:18," Rachel said, walking quickly. "We have twelve minutes to get to school."

"We can do it," I said, my voice muffled from the bite of toast I had shoved into my mouth.

Rachel glanced at me. "I know we can, but we have to get our schedules, and our lockers, and-"

"Relax, Rach," I said, struggling to keep up with her pace. "It's the first day of school, it's not that big of a deal. Can you _please _stop walking like you're training for the Olympics?"

Sighing, Rachel grudgingly slowed her pace. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just… nervous."

I frowned, munching on my breakfast. "Why are you nervous?"

Rachel tugged on her shirt. She was wearing her favorite paint-splattered t-shirt and ripped jeans, and I could see her blue plastic hairbrush sticking out of her back pocket. Even though she wasn't dressed to impress (that just wasn't her style), I thought she looked like a million bucks.

"Oh, I don't know," she said. "I mean, it is my first day, and everyone's a little nervous on their first day. But I've only ever been to private schools that catered to my every freaking need- what if I'm not ready for public school?"

I laughed, but stifled it when she sent me a glare. "Is that what you're worried about?" I asked. "You'll be fine, Rachel. Besides, you have me there to guide you." I puffed out my chest importantly, beaming.

Rachel had to smile at my pompous attitude. "And I thank you, kind sir, for showing this young maiden the ropes of the dreaded journey known as _public school_," she said, mimicking my British accent as she inclined her head in my direction.

I accepted her bow with a nod of my head. "Anything to help my people," I said, exaggerating my accent to sound like a king. "Now; bow before me, peasant!"

Rachel laughed. It felt good to make her laugh.

Looking ahead, I noticed more and more teenagers joining us on the sidewalk. "We're here," I noted.

Rachel's laugh died out. The school loomed ahead of us: Goode High School.

"Yay," Rachel muttered.

"You were all excited yesterday," I teased her, shouldering my backpack.

Rachel pouted, sticking out her lower lip. "I don't think reality really dawned on me until now," she said.

I nodded. "Yeah, you were kind of stuck in the clouds."

Rachel grinned again. "Percy!" she said, smacking my shoulder.

I jumped away from her, dropping my smile suddenly. Breathing heavily, I backed away from her slightly. I still wasn't comfortable with things like this, even if it had been months since I had last seen Gabe.

Rachel's eyes widened with concern and confusion. "Percy?" she asked, frowning. "Percy, what's wrong? Did I do something?"

Shaking myself, I tried for a smile. "No," I said lightly. "I was just… it was nothing. Forget anything happened."

Rachel wasn't too keen to let it go. "Percy, you look pale all of the sudden," she said, taking a cautious step forward. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I assured her, grabbing the straps of my backpack tightly. "Let's go in, huh? We're going to be late."

Still looking reluctant and worried, Rachel nodded. We fell back into step, walking silently side by side into the building.

"We get our schedules over there," I said, pointing at a crowd of students surrounding a table. Six adults sat behind it with clipboards and envelopes, shouting at the crowd in front of them, "Single file line! Single file, _please_!"

"Come on," I said, taking Rachel's hand and diving into the crowd.

We emerged a few minutes later at the front of the line. Rachel and I pressed ourselves against the table, leaning in close to the check-out lady to speak to her.

"Percy Jackson and Rachel Dare," I said loudly.

The woman nodded, flipping through the schedules. "Right then… Dare," she said, taking out a slip of paper and handing it to Rachel. "And… Jackson, here you go."

"Thanks," I said, taking my schedule.

"Percy," Rachel said, grabbing my wrist and yanking me out of the way just as a group of jocks trampled the spot I had just been in.

"Let's get out of here!" she said into my ear.

I nodded. "Good plan," I said, wincing as someone stepped on my foot.

Rachel and I shoved our way out of the mad pack of students. Breathing heavily, we took refuge next to a cement pillar, looking down at our schedules.

"Let me see yours," Rachel said, snatching it from my hands before I had even finished it.

"Yes, Rachel, you may see my schedule, your welcome," I said sarcastically, but Rachel wasn't listening.

"Mhmm," she muttered, comparing them. She looked up, smiling broadly. "We have everything together except for two periods!" She raised an eyebrow, handing me back my schedule. "They have Oceanography here?" she asked, referring to my elective choice.

I looked down at the paper, skimming it. "New elective choice this year," I explained.

"Of course you would take it," Rachel laughed.

I grinned. "You're taking art, I'm guessing."

Rachel nodded enthusiastically. "Totally," she said. "There weren't many other choices that interested me. I mean, I guess there's Debate, which I could totally do-"

"Percy! Rachel!"

Travis and Connor joined us, holding their schedules. "You get Lucian for homeroom?" Connor asked, peeking at my schedule.

I held it up for them to read. "We both do," I said, gesturing to Rachel.

"Sweet!" Travis said, bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet. "This is totally our time to convince everyone you're an exchange student!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Travis, you can't convince people he's an exchange student."

"Can too!" Travis defended.

"Can we discuss this on the way to class?" I asked, glancing at the clock. "The bell's going to read in like, thirty seconds."

As one, everyone glanced at the clock.

"Shoot!" Travis said, breaking into a run.

We sprinted after him, navigating our way through the hallways. After the scariest obstacle course ever, we skidded to a stop in front of the door, clutching stitches in our sides.

"You ready, Rachel?" I panted to my friend.

Rachel gave me a half-hearted smile. "Totally."

Travis grinned broadly. "Right then!" he said, throwing the door open. "Let's go!"

The door hit the wall with a bang. The rest of the class, already seated, jumped, staring at us. Thankfully, the teacher wasn't there yet.

The four of us froze in the doorway, with all eyes on us. Then, Connor broke into a grin. "Greetings, Goode High!" he said. "This is our new exchange student, Percy Jackson." He grabbed my wrist, yanking me forward.

"Yes!" Travis said, stepping beside me and laying a hand on my shoulder. "He's from England, so he doesn't speak any English."

A few people stifled laughter. Rachel sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Travis, what language do you think they speak in England?" she asked pointedly.

Travis blinked, eyebrows furrowing. "Um… England-ese, duh."

The class didn't even bother stifling their laughter this time. Connor nodded.

"Yup. Say hi, Percy," he said slowly, waving at me.

I grinned, bowing. "Konnichiwa," I said, dipping my head.

Rachel rolled her eyes as the classroom burst into laughter. "Boys," she muttered, taking the straps of my backpack and tugging me over to the empty seats in the back. Travis and Connor trailed after us, looking pleased with themselves.

"Thanks for playing along, Percy," Travis said brightly.

"England-ese?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Travis shrugged. "I wasn't actually paying attention in history, how would I know foreign languages?"

I stared at him. "They speak English, Travis."

Travis nodded. "I know that," he said.

I blinked. "But- wait-"

"Don't push it," Rachel warned. "He'll just confuse you more."

Someone cleared their throat behind me. "Percy?"

* * *

Annabeth's POV

The first day of school was mayhem. Piper caught up with me in the entrance, and we spent the next ten minutes battling our way through that stupid crowd to get to our schedules.

When we finally managed to escape, my hair had completely fallen from the ponytail I had painstakingly pulled it into.

"They're like wild animals," I huffed, tugging the hair band out and shaking my head to help fix it a bit.

"They're high schoolers," Piper corrected. "Come on, then, let me see your schedule." She pulled it from me, comparing it to hers.

"Yes, you may have it," I said sarcastically, running my fingers through my blonde hair to try to untangle it.

"We have everything together except sixth period," Piper noted with a smile. "I'm taking orchestra while you're taking architectural design."

"You play an instrument?" I asked, surprised.

Piper shrugged. "Nope, but I can learn. Come on, we have homeroom with Mr. Lucian in room 104."

I followed her through the halls, examining my schedule. I was aware of the stares Piper was getting; she was only wearing a simple t-shirt and some jeans, but she still looked more stunning than I could ever begin to imagine myself being. Not even in my dreams could I be as pretty as her.

I was glad I had gotten into architectural design, one of the newer electives emerging at Goode. My dad had made me take journalism last year, but I had pressed him into allowing me to do architecture this year. Journalism just wasn't my thing, something I had realized rather quickly after a few botched reports.

Piper finally managed to find room 144, and we slipped inside.

"Piper!"

Jason was calling Piper over from where he sat with Thalia, Grover, Nico, and Leo. Thalia pointedly looked away from me. We hadn't spoken to each other since our argument, and I wasn't planning on it either.

"Come on," Piper said, starting to head over.

I held back. "You go," I said. "There's an empty seat over there."

Piper frowned. "No, Annabeth, come and sit with us."

"Piper, really," I said, "it's fine. Jason's waiting for you. _Go._"

Piper reluctantly continued on, glancing sympathetically over her shoulder at me. Ignoring her looks, I made my way over to an empty seat towards the back of the classroom.

I slipped into a desk next to a tall, good-looking boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. I recognized him of course; he was the most popular guy in school. Who wouldn't recognize him?

When I sat down, he glanced over. He smiled at me, his blue eyes twinkling. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," I said quietly, setting my backpack down.

The boy turned fully toward me, revealing a pale white scar that stretched from just under his eye to his chin.

"I'm Luke Castellan," he introduced himself, grinning good-naturedly.

I smiled back slightly. "I know," I said. "We've kind of gone to school with each other for years."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "We have?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Um, I'm Annabeth Chase." When he still looked blank, I added, "We did a project together in eighth grade?"

Luke seemed to remember. "Oh, yeah," he said, nodding. "I remember that. Sorry, Annabeth. It's a bit early for me to remember things that far back."

I laughed a bit. "It's eight-thirty," I pointed out.

Luke smirked. "I don't actually wake up until like, noon."

Smiling, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and awkwardly fiddled with the hair band I had slipped around my wrist.

"You were on the school paper last year, weren't you?" Luke asked, cocking his head slightly and looking at me quizzically.

I nodded. "Yeah. I wasn't that great, though, I quit this year."

Luke shrugged. "I don't think you were that bad. I read a few of your articles; you have talent."

I blushed slightly. "Thanks," I muttered.

Luke watched me intently, and seemed to decide something. "You want to sit with me and my friends at lunch?" he offered.

I immediately shook my head. "Oh- no, that's alright. I've seen your table; it gets pretty crowded."

Luke chuckled. "Come on, Annie. We've always got room for a pretty girl like you."

I stiffened a bit when he called me Annie; I really hate that name. But I just brushed it off. He was just trying to be friendly.

"Well…" I said uncertainly.

"Please?" Luke asked hopefully, flashing me his pearly white teeth. Man, this boy was good-looking.

Giving in, I smiled. "Alright," I said.

Luke grinned. "Great," he said.

Suddenly, the door burst open. I jumped, spinning around to face the open doorway. Then, I felt my heartbeat quicken.

Standing in the doorway were the infamous Stoll siblings, but that's not who I was concerned about. Right behind them, looking embarrassed, stood Percy and his admittedly attractive red-headed friend, whatever her name was.

One of the Stoll siblings beamed at the class suddenly. "Greetings, Goode High!" he called, as if he was some important guest speaker. He grabbed Percy's wrist, pulling him forward. My ex-boyfriend looked as though he knew what was going to happen and had resigned himself to it. "This is our new exchange student, Percy Jackson."

I could see Grover, Thalia, and Nico exchanging confused looks. They pretty much mirrored what I was thinking: _Percy isn't an exchange student._

"Yes!" called the other Stoll, laying a hand on Percy's shoulder and smiling benignly. "He's from England, so he doesn't speak any English."

A few people laughed in confusion. This boy had to realize that they spoke English in England… right? And Percy wasn't _from _England. He just went… on vacation.

The red-headed girl let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Travis, what language do you think they speak in England?" she asked as if stating the obvious.

Travis frowned. "Um… England-ese, duh."

Everyone laughed louder. Was this boy stupid, or was he just messing around? I stared at Percy, taking in his windswept black hair and bright green eyes. If anything, he'd grown even more attractive over the past few months.

_Stop it, Annabeth, _I scolded myself. _You're done with him._

The other boy nodded. "Yup. Say hi, Percy."

Percy grinned crookedly at the class, and I felt my heart stop. "Konnichiwa," he said in a light accent, bowing.

The class erupted into laughter. I shook my head, smiling a bit. _Seaweed Brain._

The red-head shook her head, sighing. "Boys," I heard her mutter as she grabbed Percy's backpack and tugged him over to an empty seat on the opposite side of the room.

I kept my head down, hiding my face. Luke watched me, confused.

"What's up?" he asked.

I shook my head, refusing to look at Percy. "Nothing. I just… have a bit of bad history with that guy."

A smile cracked onto Luke's face. "The exchange student?" he asked.

"He's not an exchange student," I muttered.

Luke's face fell slightly. "I know," he said. "What happened between you two?"

I hesitated. "We… um, we dated for a while. Then we broke up."

Luke was surprised. "You two dated?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah," I said, slightly defensive. "Why?"

Luke shrugged. "Nothing. It's just, I know Percy Jackson. He doesn't seem exactly your type."

I narrowed my eyes, pursing my lips. "Oh yeah? And what exactly is 'my type'?"

Luke smiled gently, his blue eyes sparkling. "A guy who can treat you right," he said softly.

I had an awful feeling he was talking about himself.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, Luke is in the story. Now, just to make this clear: I love Luke to death. But he isn't going to be an all-around nice guy in this story. Just a warning; someone has to be a sort-of bad guy.**

**Alright, a bone to pick with you guys. I'm sorry I haven't updated lately, but I've been really busy. Remember that math and science thing I told you all about? I got an interview, and have been busy preparing for that. I also had a big report on the Iliad in English, and then right after that I was literally cramming for three days for that test. And on top of THAT, I've had a sub in math for the past two weeks who sucks, so I've had to teach myself all of the curriculum in my own spare time.**

**So seriously, if I don't update in a week, don't freak out. I'm just busy. I got reviews and PM's telling me I was going to 'lose readers' if I did this. It was only eight days. ONE WEEK. Can you guys really not wait that long? I have a social life, and important things that I need to take care of. And, I have a lot of other stories to keep on top of. So please, understand that I cannot write every single waking moment, though I would like to.**

**Sorry for ranting, and the long Authors Note, that just really annoyed me. I try really hard to update at least once a week, and I don't want to get complaints, because I'm really trying. Again, sorry, I know many of you understand and are patient for me, and I thank you for that. I'm not talking to you guys! And if you did do this, I forgive you, but please try and give me a break.**

**On another note, I started a new story for Rise of the Guardians AND The Outsiders, so if you've seen that movie or read that book, please check them out and tell me what you think!**

**Let's wrap this up. Thanks for reading, and thanks for the input last chapter. Please leave a review for this chapter as well! You all rock!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Percy's POV

Frowning, I turned around. My mouth went dry, and for a second, I was unsure on what to say.

Grover gave me a small smile. He hadn't changed at all, still the same teen he had been four months ago. "Hey, Percy. Remember me?"

Shaking myself off, I kept a straight face, trying for puzzled curiosity. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

I was expecting him to see right through my lie, but Grover's face fell. He glanced at the floor, shuffling his feet, and seemed unsure on what to say.

I burst into laughter. Grover looked up again, surprised. "Ah, come on, G-Man," I said, coming forward and slapping him on the back. "I'm just messing with you. How could I forget my best friend?"

Grover perked back up again, and grinned broadly. "It's nice to see you again, man," he said, wrapping me in a quick hug.

"You too," I agreed.

"What, you didn't miss me?" said a voice behind him.

My smile widened. "Thalia!"

The girl came forward, her arms crossed. She narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips tightly in disapproval. My smile faltered slightly; was she still mad at me?

"Um… hi?" I asked hopefully.

Thalia slowly shook her head. "You freaking disappear to _England _for four months, with barely any explanation, and then you show up again and say _hi? _Are you mental?"

"That's what they tell me," I said brightly, hoping I could get her to lighten up a bit.

It seemed to work, just barely. Her lips twitched, just barely enough for me to see.

"You're an idiot," she muttered.

"Percy."

Nico stood behind her, casually slouching. His eyes were narrowed, and his hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his black jeans. Grover and Thalia hadn't seemed to have changed much, but Nico had definitely gotten older. He was several inches taller, and had obviously not gotten a haircut. His dark black locks hung shaggily in front of his eyes. He seemed more mature, too, and more guarded. He was eyeing me with a cold, closed-off expression.

I tugged the edges of my lips into a half-smile, even if Nico was kind of scaring me right now. "Hey, Nico," I said. "How you doing, buddy?"

Nico's shoulders tensed. "Don't call me buddy," he muttered.

I frowned. "Why?"

Nico shook his head, a frown etched onto his face. "Forget it," he muttered, turning around and stomping off in another direction.

I stared after him. "What's up with him?"

"I don't think you're on his good side," Grover admitted, leaning on his crutches. "You know, taking off like that. He didn't think that was very cool of you."

I threw my hands into the air. "Alright, I get it. I was stupid. But was it really that bad?"

"Ah, he'll get over it," Thalia said, waving him off. "He's just a little pissed off is all. Just ignore him for a couple of days and he'll get over it. Holding grudges is a big issue with him."

"Don't I know it," I muttered, recalling how he had blamed me for his sister's death for months after the car crash.

"But enough about Zombie Dude over there," Thalia said, plopping down on my desk. "How was London?"

"Excellent," I said. "The people there were great."

"Yeah, I can tell it rubbed off on you," Grover said, sending me an odd look. "Especially the accent part."

"Oh, yeah," I said sheepishly. "Er, that'll go away soon… maybe…"

"Um, Percy?" Rachel poked her head into the conversation. "Sorry to interrupt, but there's only so long I can sit awkwardly behind you."

"Oh, right!" I said, feeling guilty. I had completely forgotten about Rachel. "Grover, Thalia, this is Rachel Dare. She's a new student this year. Rachel, these are my friends, Thalia Grace and Grover Underwood."

Rachel smiled. "Nice to meet you," she said.

Grover smiled back, but Thalia wasn't going to give in so easily. Leaning her chin on her fist, she looked Rachel over, taking her in.

"Dare, huh?" she asked. "I've heard that name before."

Rachel's smile faltered. "Oh, uh, really? Haha, how funny…"

She seemed suddenly nervous. I realized she had never told me exactly why she had gone to fancy private schools, or why she was so rich. In fact, I wasn't even sure what exactly her parents _did _for a living.

"Yeah," Thalia said, nodding. "Yeah, I've definitely heard it somewhere."

"Well, that's interesting," Rachel said, glancing around desperately. "I- Travis, Connor, don't _touch _my backpack! Sorry, I have to- Connor, stop!"

She darted away, lunging for the troublesome Stoll brothers, who were doing who-knows-what to her backpack. As soon as she was gone, Thalia made a small 'humph' noise in the back of her throat.

"I've heard the name Dare before," she muttered.

I sighed. "Did you really have to give her such a hard time about it?" I asked exasperatedly.

Thalia glared at me. "I didn't give her a hard time! What are you talking about?"

"She was obviously uncomfortable," I defended. "You didn't have to keep harping about her name."

"Oh yeah, and why are you so quick to jump to her defense?" Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow.

I bristled. "That's none of your business!"

"Ah, it's so nice to have you two back together," Grover muttered. "More bickering, fighting, and lovely intellectual conversations."

"Stay out of it, Grover!" Thalia and I shot at him together.

"Percy!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Who was it this time? "Yes?" I asked.

I was surprised when a curly haired Latino kid that I didn't recognize bounced in front of me. "Nice to meet ya!" he said, reaching out to wring my hand. "I've heard a lot about you, but I didn't know you were an exchange student, you know, I just thought you went on vacation or whatever to London, but apparently _some _people don't tell me everything-"

"Leo!" said a girl, stepping in front of him. I blinked when I saw her. She was, bluntly put, _gorgeous. _With tanned skin, shaggy brown hair, and beautiful eyes I couldn't quite attribute a color to, she looked as though she had stepped right out of a magazine.

"You're scaring him," she scolded. Turning to me, she smiled easily. "Sorry about him," she apologized. "He had Frosted Flakes for breakfast. I'm Piper McLean, and that nutcase is Leo Valdez."

"Um, hi," I said, eyeing Leo, who was waving at me from over Piper's shoulder. "I'm Percy Jackson."

"We know," chuckled another boy from behind them. What, did they have a whole army or something? "Jason Grace," he introduced, stepping forward.

I frowned slightly. "Grace?" I asked.

Thalia slung her arm around Jason's shoulders. "My little brother," she cooed, fluttering her eyelashes.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Come off it, Thalia."

"I didn't know you had a brother," I said, sizing him up. If I hadn't known they were siblings, I never would have guessed. Whereas Thalia was rather short with dark black hair, Jason was tall with broad shoulders and light blond hair. The only similarity between the two was their identical electric blue eyes that shone out from their faces.

"Yeah, well, it's not something I really advertised," Thalia admitted, sending Jason an apologetic look. "He moved in with my dad and I over the summer."

"Oh," I said awkwardly. "Well, it's nice to meet you."

Jason nodded once, eyeing me out of the corner of his eyes. "You too," he said.

The door opened. "Alright, class, take your seats," a man said, walking briskly inside.

Thalia, Grover, Leo, Piper, and Jason darted back to their seats. I settled back in next to Rachel, who was clutching her backpack close to her chest and muttering murderously under his breath.

"I am Mr. Lucian, and I will be your homeroom teacher for the year," the man exclaimed, turning around abruptly. He was tall, with dark hair and identical dark eyes. His face was cold, his lips sneering. "Leave me alone for the class, and we will not have any issues."

He grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil off his desk. "When I say your name, you will respond with a 'here'. No 'hello's' or 'wassup's?' in this class. Just here will do nicely. Now then." He looked down. "Justin Abernathy?"

"Here," said a boy sitting in the very front.

"Francesco Merguite?"

"Here."

"Luke Castellan?"

"Here," said the all-star of the school, lounging in the back row of the class. I didn't even bother turning around, already knowing exactly who he was.

"Annabeth Chase?"

My heart froze in my chest. My eyes raked the class frantically. I hadn't noticed her before, she hadn't been here… had she? Maybe he had the wrong list, maybe he was-

"Here."

I spun around in my seat. Sitting in the very back row of the class was my ex-girlfriend, Annabeth Chase.

Although Piper was pretty, she was nothing compared to Annabeth at that moment. Her blond hair hung in loose waves down her shoulder, and I could make out her analyzing grey eyes even from here. She was sitting next to Luke Castellan; an odd pair, if you ask me.

Suddenly, she turned her head slightly and met my eyes. I stared straight back, green on grey, ignoring the way my heart felt as if it were trying to escape from my chest. I was sure she could clearly see what I was thinking on my face, but her expression was closed and distant. Not even a flicker of recognition crossed her face as she stared at me.

Then she looked away, back to the front of the room. I was left staring at the side of her face, not blinking. Disappointment rose in me like tidal waves, and my breathing was coming heavily.

"Rachel Dare."

"Here," said Rachel from beside me.

Her voice snapped me out of the trance I was in, and I slowly turned back around in my seat. I slumped back in my seat, crossing my arms tightly over my chest.

What was I thinking? Everything would magically be back the way it was before I left for England? That was foolish of me. Annabeth was obviously still hurt, and probably not a small bit mad at me. I could only hope that she'd forgive me enough so we could maybe be friends, even if we weren't going to date anymore.

"Nico DiAngelo."

"Here."

"Percy?"

I glanced over at Rachel, who was watching me worriedly. "You alright?" she asked with concern. "You look a little pale."

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I muttered, glaring moodily at the desk.

Rachel didn't look at all convinced, but she didn't push it.

"Jason Grace."

"Here."

"Thalia Grace."

"Here," Thalia replied in a bored tone.

The list went on and on. When it got to the Stoll's, I noted that the two brothers' had switched names, and when Mr. Lucian didn't seem to notice, they snickered in the back. Finally, the last name was called.

"Leo Valdez."

"Here!" Leo said happily, beaming at Mr. Lucian.

The man eyed Leo with distaste before making a mark on his paper. "Very well," he said to the class. "It appears you are all here. You have one minute before the bell rings; mingle as you wish."

I immediately hopped up, spinning around. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I knew I had to speak with Annabeth.

"Hey, Percy, where's our next class?"

I turned reluctantly back to Rachel. "Huh?"

Rachel frowned down at her schedule. "We have math next, but Travis and Connor ripped my schedule when they were playing Tug Of War. What room is it in?"

"I don't know," I said impatiently, turning back around. "You can check my-"

I was interrupted as the bell rang. I glanced at the clock desperately, wondering how it could have gone that fast. Someone brushed past me, and I saw a girl with blond hair shove past me, her head down.

"Wait- Annabeth!"

But she had already disappeared into the crowd.

LINE BREAK Annabeth's POV

I slipped quickly into the hallway, escaping the classroom. Leaping into the crowds, I finally allowed myself a sigh of relief.

That had been way too awkward for my taste. Luke had helped serve as a distraction as Percy had a lovely reunion with my friends, but I could still hear almost every word they said. I was almost disappointed that Percy hadn't asked about me, but I shook it off, dismissing it as a stupid thought.

When my name had been called during role, I was surprised to see Percy react immediately, checking everywhere for me. Trying my hardest to ignore him, I had responded to Mr. Lucian, trying to be as quiet as I could.

But Percy still heard me. I could feel him staring at me, even as I tried to ignore him. Finally, unable to stand it, I had met his stare head-on, struggling to keep any and all emotion off of my face.

It was a challenge, I'll tell you that. Staring straight into his bright green eyes and not reacting at all had been one of the biggest challenges I'd ever had. As soon as we locked eyes, a montage of memories rushed through my head: the moment I had first become suspicious of him, when he told me about his step-father on the beach, our very first kiss, how I had taken care of him when he had been sick. I remembered everything, and a wave of longing rushed through me. All I wanted to do was run over there and wrap my arms around his neck, and apologize, and apologize, and apologize for being such a prideful idiot.

But what I did instead was break the stare when it became too unbearable to stand. I sensed Percy's eyes still lingering on me, but he finally looked away when his friend, 'Rachel', was called.

When the bell rang, I sprinted out of that class as fast as possible, calling out a promise to sit with Luke at lunch over my shoulder. I ended up having to shove past Percy, and I felt myself shiver as I touched him. But I didn't stop, didn't even halt as I heard him call, "Wait- Annabeth!"

I glanced down at my schedule. My next class was Architectural Design. I felt a flutter of excitement in my stomach, despite the previous emotions rushing through.

Tightening my grip on my backpack, I pushed through the crowds towards room 68.

* * *

The bell for lunch rang just as I was entering the cafeteria. People streamed by me, talking and laughing. I walked slowly into the room, my eyes darting around for Luke. I couldn't see him anywhere. I felt unbelievably small and annoyed as everyone brushed past me as if I didn't exist. Frowning, I swept my eyes across the tables. Nothing.

Maybe he had stood me up. Perhaps that whole nice-guy thing had been an act earlier. I mean, he had never talked to me before. Why would now be any different? He was probably just messing around with me, some girl to play on the first day. I felt anger boiling in my stomach, and I switched my search for Piper.

"Annabeth!"

Surprised, I glanced behind me. Luke was waving me over from a few tables down, an easygoing smile on his face.

Despite myself, I felt a small grin cross my face as I made my way over to him. When I reached the bench, Luke scooted over, clearing a spot for me.

"I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost," Luke teased, helping me slip my backpack off my shoulders.

I laughed a bit, pulling out my lunch. "Nearly. I couldn't find you anywhere."

"Yes, well, maybe it's a side-effect of having such pretty eyes," Luke flirted obviously.

I felt a blush rising in my cheeks, and muttered something incomprehensible under my breath.

A girl snorted from across the table. She was very pretty, with straight brown hair and perfect makeup. Her eyes were a strange color, almost red when it caught the light a certain way, and very cold and foreboding.

"I'm sorry, Kelli, are you getting sick?" Luke asked, shooting her a glare.

Kelli, who I now recognized as head cheerleader, smiled sweetly. "Of course not, Luke, dear," she purred. "Just a little cough."

Another girl giggled beside her. She looked almost exactly like Kelli, but with blond hair and icy blue eyes. Her face had an openly mocking quality to it, and she smirked at me.

Luke rolled his eyes discreetly, and I stifled a grin. "Annabeth, this is Kelli and Tammi Empus," he introduced. "And this is my best friend, Ethan Nakamura."

The other guy at the table raised a hand in greeting. I frowned slightly, noticing he wore an eye patch over his left eye.

"What happened to your eye?" I asked, unable to hold my question is.

Tammi let out another giggle. "I'm beginning to think he wears it just so he looks handsome," she said, hanging onto his arm.

Ethan wrinkled his nose a bit and shook her off. Tammi pouted. "I had an accident," he muttered. "I have to wear it."

"Alright," I said awkwardly, pulling my sandwich out of the bag. "It's nice to meet you."

Ethan leaned on the table, his good eye narrowed in scrutiny. "Where'd Luke pick you up?"

Luke shot Ethan a sharp glare. I frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"I met her in homeroom," Luke said shortly, "and invited her to have lunch with us."

"Hmm," Ethan said, not taking his eye off of me. "If that's what you say…"

"Shut it, Ethan," Luke snarled.

I was confused, to say the least. "Am I missing something?" I said, frowning around the table.

No one answered me. Tammi giggled that infernal little laugh of hers. I hoped this wasn't a habit she had, because it was already getting unbearable.

"So I heard that Jackson kid is back," Ethan said, leaning back in his seat.

Tammi giggled _again. _I had to resist the urge to shove my apple in her mouth to keep her busy while I _pushed her off a cliff._

"Is he that tall, handsome one with the dark hair?" she asked.

I tensed slightly. Luke seemed to notice, and tried to relieve the situation.

"Yeah," he said shortly. "Annabeth and him used to date."

Tammi looked surprised, and Kelli wrinkled her nose. "You did?" Tammi asked.

"Yeah, for a few weeks," I muttered, taking a bite of my sandwich.

"Oh," Tammi said, looking disappointed. "Was he a good kisser?"

I choked a bit on my sandwich, swallowing it down forcefully. "Um- no," I lied quickly, not wanting to talk about this.

Tammi looked confused. "Really? I always thought he'd-"

"Drop it, Tammi," Luke said, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

I shot him a thankful smile, and he grinned easily back. I felt myself relax a bit. Luke was so easy to be around, and he just seemed so protective over me. It felt nice.

"So, Annabeth, are you coming to Vincenzo's after school?" Kelli asked, leaning her chin on her fist and examining me closely.

"Well, I- what?"

"We go every Monday," Kelli explained. "And I guess since Luke has kind of adopted you into our group- without our permission, might I add- you're invited as well. So, what do you say? You want to meet us there?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said uncomfortably. "I really have to get home, and do my homework-"

"Ah, come on, Annie," Luke said. "We don't get homework on the first day! Besides, it's not like we're going to be there all night. Just a little snack. Please?"

Luke smiled hopefully. I sighed, tearing the crust off my sandwich. "Well, I guess a little snack wouldn't hurt," I admitted.

Kelli beamed, her mouth twisting into a smile. "Excellent! We'll get a table for five!"

* * *

Percy's POV

"And then I said, 'No, you can't have my pants!'" Leo finished his story, looking proud of himself.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Rachel and I caught each other's eyes, and we both looked back down at our lunches, struggling to hold in our laughter.

Leo looked around the table, grinning. "So?"

"That was a- um, a very educational story, Leo," Rachel said, struggling to find the appropriate words.

Piper snorted. "Please. I'm sorry, Leo, but that was the stupidest story I've every heard. Stop trying to be nice, Rachel."

Everyone burst into laughter. Leo pouted, looking put-out. "Well, alright," he muttered. "I guess you don't want to hear the one about the-"

"Jason, are you going to eat that?" Thalia asked loudly, interrupting Leo as she reached for Jason's cookie.

"Yes!" Jason protested.

"Too late," Thalia said, snatching the dessert and taking a big bite out of it.

Nico was sitting on the corner of the table, moodily stabbing his salad with a fork. He was treating his lettuce leaves as though it had done him a personal wrong. I decided to try and make a conversation with him.

"So, Nico, how have your classes been today?"

Nico glanced up, his eyebrow raised coolly. "Boring," he said shortly, thrusting his fork into his salad again.

Thalia jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. He winced, shooting a glare at her.

"What?" he hissed.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Stubborn idiot," she muttered, turning back to the stolen cookie.

Nico stood up abruptly. "I gotta go," he said, grabbing his uneaten lunch and stalking away.

The group seated around the lunch table watched him go uncomfortably. Piper, Leo, Jason, and Thalia sat on one side of the table, while Rachel, Travis, Connor and I sat on the other side. The two groups had sort of merged together, although there had been no spoken invitation.

"Er-" I said, feeling as if Nico's anger was my fault.

"I'll talk to him later," Thalia said quickly. "He's only annoyed at you. I'll whack him upside the head a few times, he'll be fine."

I tightened my grip around the bag of chips I was holding ever so slightly at Thalia's choice of words. When the chips crunched loudly, everyone looked over at me.

"Sorry," I muttered. Thalia watched me with a frown, and Grover eyed me worriedly.

"Percy?" Thalia asked. "Can I talk to you?"

I set down my chips, giving her a forced smile. "Yes?" I said politely.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "In private, dummy." She stood up, slipping out of her seat.

"Oh, you know, I have to finish my lunch," I said quickly, shrugging. "Sorry, but-"

"No but's, Kelp Head. We're talking."

I stood up reluctantly, pushing my chair back very slowly. Thalia turned and headed off to the corner of the lunchroom, and I trailed after her, wishing I had let Leo tell his other story.

* * *

**A/N: There you go, another chapter up. Sorry if it was a little shorter than usual, that's just how it worked out. And might I add, I love Leo? Yup, that's cleared up.**

**So I had a softball tournament today, and jammed my finger right before the first game. Twelve hours later and it's still sore and swollen. It was so weird typing this up, I'll tell you, it feels like I have a sausage for a finger… and I had to play through three games with it! Yay!**

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews last chapter! Please leave one for this one as well, they really mean a lot. **

**Thanks for reading, and I'll update soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Percy's POV

"Alright," Thalia said once she had drawn me into her trap. And by that, I meant the corner of the cafeteria.

"Alright, what?" I asked, sighing. "Thalia, I want to go back and eat. I didn't even get to finish my sandwich, and-"

"Shut it, Kelp-for-brains," Thalia rolled her eyes. She looked at me closely, surveying me with her electric blue eyes. "How are you?" she asked quietly.

I shrugged. "Pretty good. It's a pain to unpack all my stuff, but-"

"Not that, idiot," Thalia said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I forgot how exasperating you were," she muttered under her breath.

I frowned, irritated. "Look, if you just brought me over here to insult me, you can do it just as well while I'm eating my lunch over there."

Thalia shook her head. "I mean, how are you _really_?" she asked. "You know, holding up with this whole… Gabe thing."

She said his name as if it was the most revolting thing to ever escape from her mouth. Remembering my stepfather, it probably was.

I ran a hand through my hair, looking away from her piercing gaze. "I dunno," I muttered. "Fine, I guess."

"You didn't seem very fine when we were eating," Thalia pointed out. "I admit my choice of words wasn't very good-"

"Not at all," I said darkly.

"-but I thought… I don't know, things would get better for you," she said awkwardly, seemingly unsure of how to phrase it.

I smiled at her, but it was kind of empty. "Thalia, things are already better for me," I said. "But there are some things… I just… I'll be fine. It'll just take a bit more time. A few months after living with him for years is like a second to me. Sometimes I still think…" I trailed off, unable to complete my thought.

Thalia's brow furrowed. "Think what?" When I didn't respond, she pushed stubbornly, "Come on, Perce. You can tell me anything; you know that, right?"

I swallowed thickly. I _did _trust her, and I needed to tell somebody. These thoughts had been festering inside me for ages, and Thalia was my best bet. The person who I really wanted to tell hated my guts right now. "Sometimes I still think this is nothing but a… a vacation, you know? That I'll wake up one day and be back with Gabe, or he'll show up at the door to take me. It's like I'm living someone else's life, and it won't be long before they'll come to take it back."

Thalia stared at me. I chuckled nervously, turning away. "It's stupid," I mumbled. "We should head back, Leo looks like he's about to run over here himself."

"Wait, Percy," Thalia said, catching my wrist. I jerked it out of her grip, but turned around reluctantly, eyeing her wearily.

"It's not stupid," Thalia said softly. "You're right to be concerned. But you also have to believe that we won't _let _this be a vacation. Gabe's going to be in jail for the rest of his life, and even if he wasn't, there's no way he would be able to touch you. We'll all take care of you, every single one of us; even Annabeth."

She said everything so surely, so confidently, that I hated to dispute her. But, of course, I did anyways.

"Annabeth?" I snorted. "She hates me."

"She doesn't," Thalia insisted. "I may not be… on the best terms with her, at the moment, but I know she still cares about you. And you still care about her. I also know she's still a little hurt, and you're too scared to talk to her." Her gaze hardened slightly. "You're both idiots, you know?"

"I've heard," I said dryly. "Can I go back to my lunch now?"

Thalia sighed. "Fine," she said resignedly. "You can go back and eat your stupid sandwich. But remember what I said, alright?"

"Alright," I promised. "And Thalia… thanks."

Thalia smiled slightly. "Don't mention it, Fish Face," she said as we walked back over to the lunch table.

I crossed my eyes at her, making her laugh as we sat back down.

"That looked like one serious conversation over there," Piper noted as we took our seats again.

"That? Nah, I was just asking him if he was going to eat his cookie," Thalia said, snatching mine off my plate.

"Hey!" I defended. "I was going to eat that!"

"What are you, the cookie thief?" Connor asked, raising his eyebrow. "Even stealing from innocent foreign exchange students…"

"I'm not an exchange student!" I said over everyone else's laughter.

LINE BREAK

I walked out of Oceanography at the end of the day with a huge grin. The class had been absolutely brilliant, much better than I thought it would be. Rachel had had art this period, and I was supposed to meet her at the front of the school so we could walk home together.

I ducked into the crowds, zigzagging through easily. I guess when I didn't have someone else to worry about keeping up with, I could navigate pretty well. I spun around a corner, expecting to find myself almost at the doors, but ran head-first into another student.

"Ouch!" I said, falling backwards. The other person fell down, papers cascading out of their arms as they hit the ground.

I sat up on one elbow, rubbing my head. Groaning slightly, I cracked my eyes open. "Sorry," I apologized to the person I had run into. "I wasn't…"

I trailed off, staring at who I had run into. When they looked up, I found them staring right back at me.

"Looking?" Annabeth asked wryly, rubbing her head as well.

"Um… yeah…" I said, still staring at her. Out of all the students in Goode High School, I had run into _her. _Seriously, did my luck stink _this _badly?

Annabeth shook her head, getting on her knees. "No, it was my fault," she said, mostly to herself as she started to collect her papers. "I was juggling too many papers."

Reaching out for one of them, I skimmed it quickly. "Architecture?" I asked, raising my eyes from the flyer to Annabeth, who was watching me with slightly red cheeks. "You're still into that, huh?"

"Yeah," Annabeth said, snatching the paper out of my hand. I felt our fingers brush slightly, and had to resist the urge to hold onto hers. "New elective choice," she went on, seemingly unaware of the momentary contact. "I'm guessing you're taking that Oceanography course?"

I grinned. "How'd you guess?"

A small smile played at the corner of Annabeth's lips. "Maybe it's the fact that you're always going on about the ocean?" she asked sarcastically. "I must have learned about at least half of the animals that live there while you were staying with me."

I scoffed. "You're exaggerating," I protested.

Annabeth laughed. "Sure I am, Seaweed Brain."

There was an awkward lull in the conversation after that. The smile dropped off of Annabeth's face when she realized what she said, and she bent back down over her papers. Blond hair fell across her face in curtains, shielding her eyes from my view. "So how have you been?" she asked, not looking up at me.

Getting a sense of déjà vu from my earlier conversation with Thalia, I responded, "Alright, I guess. You?"

"Fine," Annabeth said, stacking her papers into a neat pile. "Busy, I guess. Dad's been working more than usual, so I was the go-to babysitter for the summer."

"Oh yes, how are the twins?" I asked with a grin as I handed over the papers I had gathered.

Annabeth shrugged, dropping my papers into the pile. "Same as always," she said. "They miss you, though."

She fixed me with her piercing gray eyes, staring me down. I glanced down at my hands, taking a deep breath.

"Annabeth, we need to talk," I said.

Finally looking away from me, Annabeth picked up her papers, standing up. "I think we do," she said carefully.

I clambered to my feet a whole lot less gracefully than she had, trying hard just to keep my balance. "Um… well, I know we didn't exactly part on the best terms…" I started awkwardly. I had spent all this time wishing I could speak to Annabeth, and now I had no idea what to say. Go figure.

Annabeth stared at me. "You're not serious, are you?"

"You're not helping!" I snapped at her.

Annabeth huffed, clutching the papers close to her chest. "You're not doing that great of a job yourself."

Taking another deep breath, I continued, "Alright, alright. Anyways, what I was trying to say… I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Annabeth, I know it wasn't cool of me to run off like that, especially with such a short notice. And I should have tried to at least talk to you before I went, I just… oh, I don't know, wasn't thinking."

Annabeth brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, letting out a small sigh. "Oh, it wasn't your fault," she said quietly. "I totally overreacted. I'm not really sure what was going through my head… I was just stressed, what with you being in a coma and then coming out and leaving, and… I'm sorry, too."

Recalling how prideful she was, I was very impressed she was able to say all these things; she was pretty much admitting she had been in the wrong. Nevertheless, I was grateful, and maybe a bit _too _hopeful we could patch things up.

"Um… so, are we cool?" I asked awkwardly, meeting her eyes.

Annabeth caught my gaze. I searched her eyes, identifying all the different emotions trapped in them. Caution, worry, hope, and some other ones I couldn't quite place. The mask she normally wore to hide her emotions slipped for a fraction of a second, and I realized how scared she must feel. All I wanted to do was reach over and give her a hug, tell her everything was alright, but I had to remind myself I couldn't do that. We weren't even technically friends yet, and it wasn't like we were going to date again. Our first try at a relationship didn't work out very well, after all.

She opened her mouth, hesitating slightly, but was interrupted by a voice behind me.

"Percy!"

I turned around to find Rachel hurrying towards me. She was holding her backpack and had a huge smile on her face, lighting up her expression. I liked Rachel and all, but right now I was sincerely wishing she had stayed quiet for a few more seconds.

"I've been waiting for ages," she said, coming up beside me. "What's holding you up?"

Hesitating, I glanced over at Annabeth, who was watching us with a strangely closed-off expression.

Rachel seemed to notice Annabeth for the first time. She looked confused for a second, then smiled at her with a friendly expression. "Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Rachel, this is my friend Annabeth," I said, eyeing Annabeth worriedly. "Annabeth, this is my neighbor, Rachel."

Annabeth nodded curtly. "It's nice to meet you."

"You, too," Rachel said, looking a bit put-out by Annabeth's coldness. "Um… I feel like I interrupted something. Do you two want a few minutes?"

I wanted to say, _Yes, please, _but Annabeth got there before me.

"No, I think we're good," she said. "Besides, I'm meeting some friends, and I'm late." She grabbed the strap of her backpack with one hand. "It was nice to see you again, Percy."

And she turned around and walked away.

I let out a groan, dropping my head into my hands. _This _close. I was _this _close. "Bloody brilliant," I muttered, my voice muffled slightly.

"Percy?" Rachel asked cautiously. "I'm sorry, what did I do?"

I shook my head, lifting my eyes to meet her worried ones. "Nothing," I lied. "Don't worry about it, we were just talking."

Rachel wasn't convinced, but she nodded. "Alright," she said. "Ready to walk home?"

Sighing, I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "Want to have a snack at my house?"

"You bet," Rachel said, grinning.

We made our way out of the school and down the steps. When we were back on the sidewalk and away from the mass of students heading home for the day, I spoke. "So, how was your first day of public school?" I asked, glancing over at Rachel.

Her peppy smile returned, and she brushed her frizzy red hair back, looking excited. "It was great!" she said. "I'm so used to stuck-up rich kids and stupid courses, this was so cool. I think I'm going to stay," she said thoughtfully.

My lips twitched. "Of course you're going to stay, young lady. You wouldn't go and leave me at the mercy of Nico, would you?"

Rachel didn't seem to find it as humorous. "What happened between you two?" she asked as we turned the corner. "He was kind of scary, the way he kept glaring at you. I don't think I really like him much…"

"Oh, he's just holding a bit of a grudge cause I ran off to England without him," I sighed. "He'll be fine soon. And he's a great kid, you'll love him once he perks up a bit."

"He can perk up?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.

I frowned. "Well… no. Once he stops being so mopey; there, that's better."

Rachel smiled at me, shaking her head fondly. We came up on our street, passing right by Rachel's house on the way to mine.

"Dad's gone," I said, noting the empty parking space where his car normally stood.

"Probably off to replace that vase you broke yesterday," Rachel said casually, hopping up the steps to get to my door.

"That was an accident!" I defended, rifling through my pockets for the house key as I spoke. "Besides, if you hadn't put that plate there-"

"You put the plate there," Rachel corrected. "And then you, being Mr. Smooth, knocked it over."

"I am Mr. Smooth," I said, smirking at her as I leaned against the door with crossed arms in an attempt to show off my 'smooth-ness'. Instead, I found the door flying open under my weight, sending me crashing inside.

Rachel burst into laughter, doubling over. "Mr. Smooth!" she said. "Oh, that's a funny one."

Frowning, I sat up, looking at the door. "That should be locked," I said, looking down at the unused key in my hand. "Dad never leaves it unlocked, even when he's in the house. That's his rule."

"Maybe he forgot," Rachel suggested, holding out a hand to help me up.

I clambered to my feet. "Maybe," I said doubtfully, looking around the small hallway. "Just… be quiet, alright?"

I crept down the hall towards the living room, staying near-silent. Rachel followed behind me, looking confused.

"Percy, what's going on?" she whispered, kind of alarmed by my behavior.

"Shhh," I said, placing a hand on the living room door, which was open slightly.

Rachel peered nervously over my shoulder. "What are you expecting to find? An ax-wielding murderer?"

I chuckled dryly. "You never know," I said, gently pushing on the door and revealing the living room.

Rachel let out a gasp, taking a step back. I didn't react, taking in the room with narrowed eyes.

It was a disaster zone. Books lay face-down on the ground, knocked from their shelves. The pillows had been thrown off the couch and ripped, stuffing spilling out of the rough gashes. My dad's armchair lay on its side, and the vases I hadn't broken lay shattered. Just beyond the living room, I could see into the kitchen, which didn't look so pretty either. The fridge door swung open, and most of the food had been taken from the shelves and deposited on the ground. Pictures lay smashed all along the rooms, and scraps of papers fluttered around the place.

Rachel and I stood there silently, taking in the wreckage. Rachel's backpack had slipped off her shoulders and fallen with a loud thud as she stared with an open mouth.

"What… happened?" she asked slowly, craning her neck to look at the kitchen.

"I don't know," I said softly. Bending down, I picked up a picture of my dad and I in London. Its frame was smashed, and I had to brush past bits of broken glass to get to the paper. "Someone must have broken in," I said, peering down at it thoughtfully.

"Then we have to call the police!" Rachel said, looking over at me.

"No… we wait for my dad to come home," I said certainly.

"Percy, if someone broke in, your dad would want us to call the police!" Rachel insisted.

I shook my head. "He'll know what to do," I said. "Trust me."

Rachel didn't know about my dad's career choice. He had retired from his time as a 'spy' now that he had me, but I knew he still would want me to go to him first. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I knew he would have an idea.

Shaking her head, Rachel crossed her arms across her chest. "But we don't know where he went," she said uncertainly. "What if he doesn't come back for hours?"

I folded the paper, sticking it in my pocket. "He'll be back," I said surely.

Rachel frowned at me. "How do you know?"

"Percy?" I heard my dad call from the front of the house. "Why is the door open?"

I shrugged, turning around. "We attract trouble. I figured he would be back within a matter of minutes," I responded to Rachel, who was staring at me incredulously. "In here!" I shouted to my dad.

Poseidon walked in, carrying a handful of groceries. "How many times have I told you to shut and lock the door, Percy? I…"

He trailed off when he spotted us standing in front of what used to be our living room. Dropping the groceries on a small table in the hallway, he walked over. "What happened?" he asked seriously.

"We came back from school a few minutes ago and found it like this," I quickly explained. "The door was unlocked when we got here. We haven't touched anything."

"I was just telling Percy we should call the police," Rachel said, shooting me a look.

Poseidon slowly shook his head, surveying the room with a calculating expression. I recognized that look from when I first met him- he was back in business. "No," he said shortly. "We're not calling the police."

Rachel threw her hands in the air. "What is with you guys? When someone breaks into your house, you call the police! Isn't that like, a given?"

"Not for this type of break-in," Poseidon said. He turned around, looking Rachel in the eye. "Rachel, you need to go back to your house," he said firmly. "Don't call the police, and don't tell anyone about this. Do you understand?"

Rachel stared from my dad to me, looking slightly alarmed. "What's going on?" she asked.

"It's nothing. Do you understand?" Poseidon pressed.

Rachel reluctantly nodded. "Yes. But-"

"We'll walk to school again tomorrow morning," I interrupted her. "We'll be fine here. Meet you in front of my house at eight again, alright?"

Rachel huffed, narrowing her eyes at me. "Whatever," she said, picking her backpack back up irritably. "If you don't want to tell me what's going on, that's fine. Come and get me when you need something."

She spun around and stalked out of the house.

"Wait- Rachel!" I said, but she was already halfway down the street by now. I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Why are girls so complicated?" I sighed.

"That's one of life's biggest mysteries, but it's not our concern at the moment," Poseidon said distractedly. Bending down, he examined a pile of broken glass closely. "So it was like this when you got here?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, standing back to stay out of the way. "What do you think happened?"

"I'm not sure," Poseidon muttered. "But I have an idea. And if it's what I think it is… we're in trouble."

"Whoa, wait, trouble?" I asked, dumping my backpack on the ground. "What kind of trouble? What does that mean?"

Poseidon turned to me, giving me a grim smile. "It means I'm coming out of retirement, Percy."

* * *

**A/N: SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. I have an explanation! It's Spring Break, and I went on vacation for a week to the mountains. I fully intended to keep up with my regular updating while I was here, but when I arrived I realized there was no wifi. So I've had this chapter written for a while, but wasn't able to post it until now. Again, I'm very sorry to keep you all waiting, and it won't happen again! I thought I would have full use of my computer, but unfortunately, no.**

**And my finger's sprained. Yup, it was in a splint for a while, so I couldn't type for a bit. It's okay now, though, so I'll be up and running.**

**Back to the chapter. Percy and Annabeth talked! And Rachel interrupted. And their house is trashed. But what does it mean? Dun dun dun! **

**Again, I'm sorry for the slow update, but thank you for waiting. And, thanks for reading! Please leave a review to tell me what you think!**

**I will DEFINITELY update soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Percy's POV

I spent the next half hour trailing my dad around and trying to get him to listen to me.

"What'd you say?" I'd ask when I heard him muttering to himself.

But he was in his own spy world, looking at everything and completely ignoring me.

"Not now, Percy," he'd say impatiently as if I was some kind of nuisance, then waved me away. Irritated, I stomped over to my backpack, rifling through it for my bottle of water.

When Poseidon finally reemerged in the living room, I jumped at him. "What's going on?" I demanded, water bottle still clutched in my fists. "What did you mean, 'I'm coming out of retirement'?"

"Calm down, Percy," Poseidon said wearily, running a hand over his face. "I'm afraid to say our lives just got a lot more complicated."

"Because someone broke in?" I said, following him into the kitchen. He sat down on one of the un-ruined stools at the counter. I stood across from him, leaning against the cool tile and setting my water down.

"Not just that," Poseidon murmured. "You're much too young…"

I bristled. There it was again. I was _always _too young. Even now, at seventeen years old, I was still treated like a child. I understood Poseidon was just trying to watch out for me and all that cruddy parent stuff, but honestly, I think after everything that's happened I deserve at least _some _kind of explanation. It's not like I would just be okay with not knowing anything! Who did he think I was?

"I am _seventeen_!" I snapped at him. "I'm not too young, no matter what you think! And since it's my house too, I want to know what's going on!"

Poseidon looked up at me. He swept his gaze over me, and I felt a bit awkward. It was as though he was looking me over to see if I was worthy of his information.

"Alright," Poseidon sighed. "I see your point…"

I blinked. Really? Alright…

Poseidon leaned against the counter, looking thoughtful. "I can't say I know who exactly broke in," he admitted. "Nothing was taken, which surprised me, so it couldn't have been a burglar. Whoever did it was doing something else…"

"Who would go to the trouble of breaking in and trashing someone's house and then not take anything?" I asked doubtfully. "Kinda nutty, if you ask me."

"_Very _nutty," Poseidon agreed. "Dominic's been warning me about something…"

"Mr. Brown?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't heard from him in a while, although I knew he and my father were in constant communication.

"Mhmm," Poseidon said. "He told me that although I was in retirement, my enemies weren't."

"Enemies?" I asked, frowning. "You have enemies?"

Poseidon chuckled dryly. "Percy, I was a spy for years. Do you honestly think I would have no enemies?"

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. "Er… good point there…" I cleared my throat. "So you think this is one of your old enemies… what? Taking revenge for kicking their butts?"

"Perhaps," Poseidon said, frowning slightly. "But whoever it is knows me well, and probably understands that simply attacking me will do them no good."

"Why not?" I asked curiously.

Poseidon grinned at me, his green eyes glinting. "Believe it or not, your old man has some moves, Percy."

I laughed, but it was short-lived. "So why'd they break in?" I asked, a serious look washing over my face again.

Poseidon held up his finger. "_That's _the question," he said. "But if he knows me well enough not to attack me, the question is why did he break in?"

"Maybe he was gathering information," I suggested. "I don't know what he would get from ransacking our house, though… maybe your favorite dessert, or…"

Poseidon sat up straight suddenly. His face had paled slightly, and his mouth was set into a grim line.

"Dad?" I asked cautiously, noticing his sudden change of stature.

"Hey, Dad- yoohoo."

"They're not after me," he murmured. "They're after the one thing they know will break me."

He seemed to be waiting for me to figure it out. To my credit, I thought about that hard. I just couldn't figure out the answer. What would break my dad? He was a tough guy; they couldn't get him with just anything. And he didn't really have anything except for…

The answer came to me, and I realized it had always been there. I felt a wave of cold wash over me, and my mouth went dry as I suddenly realized what they were after.

"Me," I said into the silence. "They're going to try and hurt you with me."

* * *

"So now I'm on house arrest!" I finished dramatically complaining to Grover and Thalia after school the next day.

"House arrest?" Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't leave the house," I explained, rolling my eyes. "Unless I have someone with me. He barely wanted me to come to school today, he's so worried."

"Let me get this straight," Grover said, a frown crossing his face. "You're on the wanted list for an unknown criminal who wants to use _you _against your spy father who's made many dangerous enemies, and you're complaining about being on house arrest?"

I thought for a second. "Yeah, pretty much," I said, nodding.

Grover shook his head. "You're ridiculous."

"I agree with Percy," Thalia broke in. "I mean, house arrest is pretty much being grounded, and trust me when I say that's _not _a fun thing."

"I'll bet you've been grounded plenty of times," I snorted.

"You're right," Thalia said cheerfully. "I have been."

We were sitting at the tables outside the school. Thalia was meeting Nico here so they could walk home together, and I was just trying to stay out of the house for as long as possible. As soon as I got back, I wouldn't be able to see anything except the inside of my room. And to top it all off, Poseidon was almost always on the phone with Dominic, discussing matters of 'security'. I wasn't sure what that meant, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't be happy with it.

"He's just looking after you, Percy," Grover said wisely, nodding to himself.

I sighed. "I know," I admitted. "But it's just a bit annoying, you know? I'm not used to an overprotective parent."

"You know what I'm not used to?" Thalia asked, looking totally unfocused. "You're British accent. It's driving me crazy."

"Why?" I asked, blinking at her.

"Cause it's so weird to hear you like that!" Thalia exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "You don't sound like Percy!"

"Well sorry," I said sullenly, crossing my arms. "It's not _my _fault. I was influenced."

"I thought that was going to wear off once you came back here," Grover noted.

I snorted. "Please. My friends are always Skyping or calling me. Half the time it's like I never left England." I sighed resignedly, leaning back against the table. "What can I say?" I said, tipping my head back. "I'm just that popular."

Grover and Thalia burst out laughing. I frowned, sitting up to look at them. "What?"

They just laughed harder.

"Hey," said a moody voice behind me.

I turned around. Nico was standing there, stubbornly not meeting my eyes. The little brat was still angry at me, and had refused to talk to me the entire day. I shot a desperate look at Thalia and Grover, who had stopped laughing. Grover shrugged helplessly, but Thalia just rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Emo Dude," she said. "Sit down, we were just talking. You'll never guess what-"

"We need to get home," Nico said abruptly.

Thalia narrowed her eyes. She hated being interrupted. "Alright, listen here, punk-"

"Oh, leave him alone, Thalia," I sighed. "He's just mad at me."

"Am not!" Nico snarled at me, sounding thoroughly angry.

Thalia stood up abruptly. "You know, I'm sick of this," she announced. "Come on, Grover, let's leave them to talk."

"No!" Nico complained immediately, eyeing me distastefully.

"Not your choice!" Thalia snapped. "Let's go, Grover."

She and Grover walked away and sat at a different table. Nico and I were left behind, awkwardly staring at each other in silence.

"Um… hi?" I said hopefully, giving him a crooked smile.

"I'm out of here," Nico muttered darkly, turning around to walk away.

"Wait- Nico, come on, hold up," I said quickly. Nico tensed, but stopped, turning back around to glare at me.

"What?" he asked resignedly.

I sighed, resting my chin on my fist. "I'm sorry, alright?" I told him, looking up at him with big green eyes. "Seriously, I am. I shouldn't have left like that."

"No, you shouldn't have," Nico said dryly.

"But there's nothing I can do to change it now!" I went on. "And I hate you being mad at me. Come on, Annabeth already wants to push me off a cliff. Haven't I suffered enough?"

Nico looked doubtful, but he was stubborn as a mule. "No," he said sullenly.

I shot him a look. "Ha-ha," I said sarcastically.

Nico looked away from me, glancing over at the front of the school. I watched him, and realized the extent of his maturity, and not only appearance-wise. Nico was well aged beyond his years, whether from what he went through with me or his sister, I didn't know. Although he wasn't looking at me, I could see his dark eyes, shielded by his dark hair, glowering over at the few remaining stragglers hurrying out of the school.

Nico's jaw clenched suddenly. He turned back to look at me, eyes narrowed. "You totally brushed us off," he snapped at me. "We go through all this trouble to help you, and then you leave for four months. I understand that you needed to get away, but you didn't even keep _in touch. _Nothing, Percy! It was as if you were never here. I think that's what hurt Annabeth the most. I get that you're fighting, but you should of at least talked to one of us. _That's _what bothered me the most."

I was silent for a moment, taking that revelation in. It was true; I had had no contact with anyone And I realized what it might have seemed like to them… and to Annabeth. It seemed like I would leave them in a heartbeat if I was offered better things, although that wasn't the case. They're my best friends- yes, even Annabeth, although she currently hates my guts- and I completely left them behind. I felt a wave of guilt wash through me. No _wonder _Nico was mad at me, and Annabeth as well, for that matter. And here I thought she was just hurt that I would leave her. No, she thought I was leaving her for better opportunities.

"I… I didn't…" I stumbled, unsure of what to say.

"No, you didn't know," Nico snapped. "You didn't think, that's why. You just ran off, without even thinking about how we would feel. You want to know the answer? We felt really cruddy, all of us. Annabeth just took it the hardest because she was closest to you."

I bowed my head slightly. "I'm sorry," I said quietly. When Nico opened his mouth to retort, I went on, interrupting him. "I _know _sorry isn't good enough in this case, but I am. I understand that what I did was wrong… or, at least, now I do. I didn't know I was treating you guys like that, and I swear I never meant it. I would have been in contact, I just… I don't know. I guess I was a little scared that you were all mad at me."

"We were," Nico said, frowning at me. He seemed to be lost in thought, before he added quietly, "but not anymore."

I looked up at him. "Huh?"

Nico sighed. "I think you've learned your lesson," he said with a small smile at me. "Just don't _ever _do that again."

I broke into a relieved smile. "I won't," I promised. "Good to have you back, Nico."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it," he warned. "We all know you're going to end up messing up again and we're going to have to go through this all over again to get the message through that thick skull of yours."

I stared at him. "Wow," I said blankly. "How many times did you insult me in just one sentence?"

Nico laughed slightly. Thalia and Grover walked back up cautiously, looking back and forth between us. "Is it safe to emerge?" Thalia asked, watching us closely.

"Yeah," I said, shooting a look at Nico. "I think it is."

Thalia let out a sigh, plopping back down on the bench. "Good grief, I thought that was never going to end. Nico can hold a grudge."

"I know he can," I said flatly, recalling the biggest grudge he had ever held against me after his sister died. He shot me a sheepish smile.

"Grover? Thalia?" I asked them. The two turned to look at me, confused.

"What?" Grover asked.

I sighed. "I'm sorry," I said quietly.

Thalia gave me a light smile. "It's alright," she said in a low voice. "We understand."

Grover nodded, smiling at me. I grinned back as Nico sat down. What did I do to deserve friends like this? They always stuck by me, no matter how much I messed up.

"So what's going on?" Nico asked, looking at us expectantly.

Grover, Thalia, and I exchanged looks. Finally I leaned back, letting out a sigh. "You explain," I said to Thalia, shutting my eyes.

Things were starting to get back on track. Now I just had to deal with Annabeth.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, alright. I understand I have a bit of a problem with cliffhangers, and that that always ends up annoying you guys. It's fun for me, alright? But I decided to give you guys a break this time. This was more of a filler chapter, to work on the plot and fix things between Nico and Percy. Next chapter is more action, I promise you!**

**If any of you are interested, I just put out two new stories. One's a Tratie two-shot called Strawberry Dilemmas, and the next is going to be an AU full story called the Green Eyed Delinquent. Basically, Percy's a juvenile delinquent sent to live with his sort of long-lost dad. And Annabeth's his next-door neighbor, and they hate each other. So if you like this, check that story out, cause I have SO many plans… mwahaha….**

**Thanks for reading, and please take the time to review!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Percy's POV

"Any… two's?"

"Go fish."

I cursed under my breath, reaching out to grab another card from the pile. "This isn't fair," I complained, adding a three to my already thick stack. "You're cheating."

Rachel smirked at me from across the table, fanning her minimal four cards in front of her. "If you know how to cheat in _Go Fish, _please, enlighten me. Because I have absolutely no idea," she said, looking down at her cards. "Got any four's?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "_Cheater._"

"Cough them up, Percy."

Pouting, I tossed over three cards to her. She smirked, laying down the complete set of four on her piles and piles of wins.

"I quit," I said, putting my cards down.

Rachel frowned at me. "You can't quit!"

I grinned at her. "Watch me," I said, jumping out of my seat and sprinting to the staircase.

I heard an exasperated sigh behind me and the creaking of Rachel getting out of her chair. "Percy!" she called. "Get back here and finish the game!"

"No!" I shouted, hurrying up the stairs.

Rachel laughed. "Oh, it's on."

She chased me up the stairs and down the hallway to my room. I thought I had the chase in the bag before I realized that Rachel was fast. _Very fast. _And although I could keep a good pace, I found her gaining on me with every step.

Suddenly, I let out a gasp. Tumbling to the ground, I sprawled out across the hallway, moaning in pain.

"Oh no- Percy!" Rachel gasped, dropping to her knees beside me. Her curly red hair framed her anxious look and worried eyes as she tentatively reached out to touch my shoulder. "Oh, god, Percy, are you alright?"

I blinked up at her, groaning a bit. "I don't know. My ankle-"

I scrambled to my feet. Rachel let out a little gasp, jumping backwards as I got up. "Bye!" I said, leaping into my room and shutting the door behind me.

After a moment, Rachel started pounding on my closed door. "That's no fair!" she shouted. "I thought you were hurt!"

"All's fair in love and war!" I called back, holding onto the doorknob as she pulled on it.

"That wasn't funny!" she screamed. "I thought you were really hurt, and… and…"

I blinked as she stopped pounding on the door. Instead, I heard the sound of muffled sobs from the hallway.

"Rachel?" I asked, frowning. "Rachel, are you alright?"

She didn't answer me, too busy crying.

I pulled the door open. Rachel stood there, head bowed, face covered by her hands as she cried.

"Oh, gosh, Rachel, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," I said, panic rising in me. I stepped forward, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm alright, look…"

Her shoulders were shaking. She was struggling to breathe, too busy crying, sobbing, and… wait…

"Ha… haha…" The sounds escaped from her hands, barely loud enough to hear, but were there nonetheless.

"Wait…" I said, narrowing my eyes. "Are you… laughing?"

Rachel lowered her hands. A broad grin stretched across her face, her shoulders shaking from suppressed mirth. "Your… face…" she choked out through her giggles.

"That's not fair!" I said, crossing my arms.

"All's fair in love and war," she teased, strolling past me into my room.

I stood there for a couple of seconds, eyebrows raised. "But I- hey! That's my line!"

I followed her into my room. She was lounging back on my bed, wiggling her toes. "You really should clean in here," she said, casting a critical eye around the piles of dirty clothes I had shoved into the corner.

"Yeah, well, not everyone has a maid to clean up after them," I pointed out, plopping down on the other chair. "And what's the point of cleaning? It's just going to get dirty anyways."

"You're hopeless," Rachel muttered.

Rachel hadn't mentioned the break-in since we had first walked in to discover the house trashed. But I could tell something was different between us, more suspicious. She acted normal, but she was always shooting me calculating looks and examining my house when she didn't think I was looking. She knew we were hiding something, and she wanted to find out what it was.

"So how's your family?" I asked, leaning back in my chair and stretching.

Rachel tensed slightly and almost unnoticeably. "Oh, you know," she said lightly. "The same as always, really… they hardly notice when I'm in the house…"

"Oh," I said, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry."

Rachel smiled at me. "It's not your fault," she said quietly. "Sometimes, though, I just… well-"

The door slammed somewhere downstairs. "Percy?" my father called.

I sighed. "Up here!" I shouted back to him.

After a few seconds Poseidon stuck his head through the doorway, sweeping his gaze around my messy room. When his gaze fell on Rachel, he looked slightly surprised. "Rachel," he said, sparing her a small smile. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yes," I interrupted before she could say anything. "She had to come over here seeing as I'm on _house arrest_-"

"Percy, please don't go through this again," Poseidon sighed, looking weary.

"House arrest?" Rachel asked, confused. "Why are you on house arrest?"

"It's nothing," I muttered, disgruntled. I _hated _house arrest. Poseidon was so strict about it I hadn't been able to go anywhere for the past two weeks except for school. And staying trapped in a house like this didn't bode well with me; I felt like I was in a cage. And my father didn't show any signs he would be letting up any time soon.

Rachel's expression soured. "Whatever," she muttered, leaning back against my pillows and shutting her eyes.

"Percy, can I have a word with you?" Poseidon asked.

I glanced over at him, frowning slightly. He was watching me with an almost anxious expression, waiting.

"Sure," I said, turning towards him.

Poseidon raised an eyebrow. "In _private_?"

I blinked before it clicked. "Oh- oh!" I said, glancing at Rachel out of the corner of my eye. "Yeah, of course."

I stood up and followed my father out of the room. He shut the door firmly behind me, stepping into the hall.

"What's up?" I asked, shoving my hands in my pockets and leaning up against the wall.

"It's about the break-in," Poseidon said bluntly, a cool expression on his face.

I felt my blood run cold. "Did you catch them?" I asked eagerly. "Or at least learn who did it?"

"Um… no," Poseidon admitted. "Whoever performed the break-in was well-trained and very smooth throughout the whole procedure. There was no clues, no fingerprints, nothing… obviously a professional job."

I nodded slowly. "Alright. Um… what did you want to tell me then?"

"I've made a list of possible suspects," Poseidon said, expression serious. "I'll need to do quite a bit of traveling to follow up on all of them and discuss things with my co-workers."

"Okay," I said, "so you'll leave for a few days and I'll just stay here-"

"Alone?" Poseidon asked doubtfully. "I don't think so."

I threw my hands into the air. "Here we go again! _You're too young, Percy. You're not ready, Percy. _If I have to listen to any more of this crap-"

"That's not the reason," Poseidon said, cutting across my tirade. "It will simply not be _safe _enough for you here."

I deflated slightly. "Cause I'm in danger," I muttered.

Poseidon seemed to struggle for a moment before he said, "Yes, because you're in danger. Therefore, I've arranged for someone to stay with you during this time."

"You're getting me a babysitter?" I asked in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Not a babysitter," Poseidon assured me. "I'm leaving in thirteen days, and I'll be gone two weeks. Dominic will be stopping by daily to check on you, around dinner. But for the rest of the time, you'll be alone."

Noticing how he looked slightly nervous, I tried to reassure him. "I'll be fine, Dad," I said gently. "Really, it's just two weeks, and Dominic will do a great job protecting me. Besides, I've dealt with worse before."

That was the wrong thing to say. Poseidon tensed slightly, his jaw clenching as he apparently recalled exactly what I had been through.

"Yes," he said tightly, "you're correct. You'll be fine, I know…"

"I'm more worried about you," I said, my eyebrows furrowing slightly. "I mean, I know whoever broke in is after me, but the only reason that they want me is to get you. What if they just… I don't know… go for you?"

The ghost of a smile crossed Poseidon's face. "Don't worry about me, Percy," he said. "I can more than handle anyone who tries to attack me."

He reached out and ruffled my hair. "Alright, just wanted to tell you," he said, starting off down the hall. "Head back in to Rachel."

I shot him a look, flattening my already messy hair. "Whatever," I muttered, pulling open the door and slipping back inside the room.

Rachel hadn't moved a muscle. She was still lying on my bed, eyes shut, a frown gracing her face. I plopped back down in my chair, kicking my feet up on my bedside table. Rachel was silent, not making a move to acknowledge I had come back.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "So, my dad's going away in a couple weeks," I said to break the silence. "One of his friends is going to check up on me once a day."

"Hmm…" Rachel said, not looking at me.

I frowned slightly. "Um… tired?"

Rachel cracked a green eye open, watching me closely. "No," she said, "just thinking."

I grinned. "'Bout what?" I asked, hoping we could go back to the playful mood we had had before.

Rachel seemed to debate whether to tell me or not. She sat up, grimacing. "You," she admitted. "And your father. You guys are hiding something, and don't even try to tell me otherwise."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said lightly. "What could we have to hide?"

"Well, for one thing," Rachel said, "someone _broke into your house _and you two acted like it was completely normal or something! Let's not forget you flinch when I make a move at you. And your friends; the way you interact… it's like you've all been through something horrible. And that girl, Annabeth..."

My heart skipped a beat. "What about her?" I defended.

"I see the way she looks at you!" Rachel said sharply. "And… the way you look at her." Her face fell slightly, but she swallowed thickly and kept going. "You two obviously still have feelings for each other, no matter what they are. Something happened between you two. You're _all _hiding something, and I really don't like being kept in the dark!"

I clenched my fists lightly. "Rachel, I really don't want to get into this with you," I said quietly. "All these things… they're in my past. And I don't want to re-visit them."

"You don't want to tell me," Rachel said flatly.

"No, Rachel, I-"

"Percy, it's kind of obvious," Rachel shot at me. "Whatever it is, you don't _want _me to know. What, do you not trust me?"

"Of course I-"

"Or am I just a distraction from your problems? Someone you can go to when you want to get away with whatever wacked-out thing is going on, but not someone to actually confide in?"

I could feel my anger rising. "Why would you even think that?" I exclaimed.

"Because you're a _horrible _liar!" she shouted. "You can't _lie,_ Percy! And you're doing it, over and over again! I just want to know what's going on!"

"Nothing is going on," I said quietly, shooting her a sharp look.

Rachel suddenly stood up, getting off the bed. "I can't do this," she said quietly. "I'm sorry. Come and get me when you can be honest with me, because I don't want to hang around if all I'm going to get is a bunch of cover-ups and lies."

She stalked across the room and threw the door open, hurrying into the hallway.

I leaned my head back, shutting my eyes. Yes, Rachel had a right to be annoyed with me, but I really didn't want to deal with this right now. Could my life get any more complicated?

The answer?

Yes, it could.

I got up as soon as I heard the front door slam. Walking downstairs, I hastened past my father, who was sitting in the living room looking thoroughly confused.

"Everything all right with Rachel?" he called to me.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Everything's just dandy."

I walked outside, stepping into the warm air. I needed a walk.

* * *

Annabeth's POV

Luke and I were walking through the park. I felt thoroughly uncomfortable; I hadn't really wanted to accept his invitation, but I couldn't turn it down, either, after everything he's done to try and make me feel welcome.

I don't know what it was about him. He had a kind of sixth sense that told him when I was upset or feeling down, and he was always there offering to talk it out with me. I haven't accepted yet. Something about him made me uneasy. But he was undeniably sweet, and I had to remind myself I was being stupid every time I grew suspicious about him.

Luke glanced around at the trees, the sunlight streaming through the branches. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and grinned.

"Pretty, isn't it?" he asked casually. "I love the park."

"Yeah," I said quietly, "me too."

Luke glanced down at the ground, kicking at a rock. "So how are you?" he asked conversationally.

I shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Nothing's really changed since the last time you talked to me… what, yesterday?"

Luke smiled. "Hey, I like to talk with you," he said with a shrug. "You make a good conversation."

"So I've heard," I muttered.

"How are things with Jackson?" Luke asked lightly.

I gave him a sharp look. "Excuse me?" I asked, frowning.

Luke raised an eyebrow at my defensive tone. "You said you had some bad history with him, and now that he's back, I thought it might cause some problems for you," he explained. "I was just wondering how everything's going with him. He's always shooting you these looks, like he's worried about something but can't tell you."

I blinked. "He is?" Shaking my head, I brushed it off. "I don't know where I am with him," I admitted. "It's… very complicated."

"Wanna talk about it?" Luke asked sympathetically.

I felt a twinge of unease, but shook it off. "Oh, it's nothing, really," I sighed. "We dated, had a fight, sort-of broke up, and now he's back. Everything's just really awkward."

Luke frowned something. "You dated," he mused. "You two must have been really close."

"Closer than anything," I said quietly, regretfully. Why was Luke doing this? Dredging up old memories that just made everything more painful than it needed to be…

"He still cares about you," Luke stated. "I'll bet he would do anything for you."

I laughed slightly, shaking my head. "Doubtful. He's over me."

"But you're not over him," Luke accused.

I stared at him. "I- of course not, I got over him a long time ago."

"Oh, really?" Luke asked, cocking an eyebrow. He stopped walking suddenly, and I was forced to halt as well, frowning at him.

"Luke?" I asked, "Is something wrong?"

"You're over him?" Luke asked, watching me closely.

I hesitated before nodding. "Yeah," I said in a would-be confident voice. "Yeah, I think so."

"You think," Luke murmured. "Well, why don't we test that?"

My heart started thumping. "Luke?" I asked again. "Luke, what are you talking about?"

He stepped closer to me. "I like you, Annabeth," he said quietly. "I like you a lot."

"I like you too," I said, eyes widening slightly. "But… but I don't think-"

"You're amazing," Luke continued. "And this is something I've been wanting to do for a long time…"

He leaned in closer, tilting his head slightly. I watched in complete and utter shock as he came closer and closer, eyeing my lips. Was this _really _happening to me? What was going on? And why was I just _standing there_?

I felt my heart speed up as he hovered so close I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips. My heart was beating one hundred times faster than normal. I wasn't sure why this bothered me so much; I was over Percy Jackson… wasn't I? I had to be. It was time to move on. Maybe this was for the best; Luke was really nice, and seemed to care about me. So why did I think this was a bad idea?

He pressed his lips to mine. I stood there, my eyes squeezed shut, as he kissed me, bringing a hand up to touch my cheek. I waited for something, _anything_, to show what I was feeling, but… there was nothing. I waited for the spark I used to get with Percy, but it was absent. It felt as though I was watching the kiss from someone else's point of view, not really there as I should have been.

Luke pulled away, releasing me from the kiss. I felt movement flow back into me, and took a step away, breathing heavily.

Luke was watching me closely. I took a deep breath, choking out, "Luke…"

"I _do _like you, Annabeth," he said quietly, not meeting my eyes. "I'll see you at school, alright?"

I watched in utter disbelief as he turned around and walked away. I stared after him, bringing a hand up to brush my lips, the ones Luke Castellan had just kissed. What was wrong with me? Most girls would be overjoyed to be kissed by none other than _Luke Castellan_, but why did I just feel empty?

Shaking my head, I sighed. How was I supposed to face him at school? Surely everything would be awkward. I turned around, ready to head home, but was shocked to find another figure standing further along the sidewalk, staring at me.

I took a sharp intake of breath. "_Percy_?" I asked in disbelief.

The boy was standing there, staring straight into my eyes. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his shoulders hunched slightly. He watched me, eyebrows drawn, a confused look on his face.

"Annabeth," he said quietly.

A horrible thought dawned on me. "Um… how much of that…?"

"All of it," Percy muttered, breaking our gaze. He glanced down at the ground, scuffing the sidewalk with his toe. "So… you and Castellan?"

I hesitated, glancing back over my shoulder in the direction Luke had disappeared. "I don't know," I admitted. "Percy, I…"

"No, I get it," Percy said, glancing back up at me. He tugged the edges of his lips into a halfhearted smile. "You don't have to explain. He's a good guy. I don't blame you for wanting a chance with him. And it looks like you got one."

I shook my head, taking a step closer. "No, Percy," I said, "I don't… I don't know what happened. But Luke…"

"Annabeth," Percy said softly. "It's okay."

I stared at him, trying to decipher the look on his face. His eyebrows were scrunched together, and he looked completely… heartbroken. What Luke had said came back to me: Did Percy still have feelings for me?

"Percy," I whispered, unsure of what to say.

Percy shook his head, stepping away from me. "No," he said, "I don't need to hear it. Just… just be careful, okay, Annabeth? I hope you two are happy together."

He spun around and ran, sprinting off down the sidewalk. I watched him go, my feet cemented to the ground. I didn't realize I was crying until the first tear slipped down my cheek, and I irritably brushed it away.

My life couldn't get more confusing.

* * *

**A/N: Hehe…. Sorry, slow update…**

**I'm addicted to the show Merlin, okay! There are four seasons to watch on Netflix, and I haven't been able to stop it and write! If anyone watches that, please tell me, because I'm obsessed. I managed to get this out, though, even though it's not that great… am I the only one who hates Luke in this story? No?**

**Things will get more complicated in the next chapter, trust me. I really am just waiting for the Romans to arrive. Why must it be so far away? I need to find things to fill the time between then…**

**Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Percy's POV

_Knock knock knock._

I shut my eyes. I loathed to get up off of the couch I was currently reclining on, but I suspected that was Dominic at the door. And that meant I had to answer it. Yay.

Hopping to my feet, I walked over to the front door, quickly undoing the lock my father had installed. Tugging on the doorknob, I pulled the door open, revealing a tall man standing there, glancing suspiciously at the street behind him. When I opened the door, he turned back to me.

"Percy!" he said, smiling down at me. "I haven't seen you in a long time!"

"Yeah," I agreed, stepping back. "Come in?"

Dominic ducked inside. Glancing around the small entry hall, he commented casually, "Nice place."

"Poseidon was happy to get it," I said, swinging the door shut. I locked it before turning back around to find Dominic carefully eyeing the living room with furrowed eyebrows. I rocked from one foot to the other awkwardly, but he didn't turn back around. Having absolutely no idea what to say, I said, "So… hi."

I heard Dominic chuckle. He glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows raised. "You're like your father in many ways," he said mildly. "He too doesn't know how to deal with awkward conversations- or conversations in general."

I frowned. "Should I be insulted?"

Dominic just winked at me. "Have a seat, Percy," he said, sitting down in my father's armchair.

A little disgruntled at being told to 'have a seat' in my own house, I plopped down on the sofa across from him, watching him closely.

"So, how have you been?" Dominic asked, crossing his arms and scrutinizing me with his dark brown eyes. In the light coming from the lamp, the jagged scar that ran across his jaw looked like it was glowing on his deeply tanned face.

I shrugged. "Good, I guess. School's started, which sucks…"

"How are your friends?" he asked conversationally.

I stiffened slightly, but managed to shoot him a lopsided smile. "Friendly."

"And Annabeth?"

My jaw clenched. Just her name sent the memories from the park rushing back to the front of my mind: her and Luke together, kissing on the path. It shouldn't bother me. It shouldn't. But no matter how much I denied it, I knew it did.

"We broke up," I said shortly.

Dominic raised an eyebrow. "Really? How unfortunate, I rather liked her."

And that was all he said on the matter.

"As you know, we are entering dangerous times," he said, getting over the small talk and going right into the serious conversations. "Your father is being threatened and, on extent, so are you."

"Yes," I said, "but isn't that what Poseidon has gone out to stop? This whole trip thing- it's to reveal who's trying to get me, right?"

"That is the goal," Dominic said carefully, "but we cannot assume everything will be resolved in just two weeks. We'll be hoping for the best, of course…" He cleared his throat and changed topics. "I'll be stopping by every day until Poseidon gets back to check up on you. Around this time, alright?"

"I still can't believe I need a babysitter," I muttered under my breath.

"Having a babysitter could be a plus for you," Dominic pointed out. "You'll be a lot safer than if you were completely on your own. And you don't have Poseidon calling you every five minutes to make sure you're alright, which he would be doing if I wasn't coming."

"That's true," I conceded, grinning a bit.

Dominic glanced at his wristwatch. "I need to be going," he said, getting to his feet. "I have an appointment to get to at six. I'll see you tomorrow, alright, Percy?"

"Alright," I said, standing up as well. "I'll try not to get kidnapped or anything."

"That would be greatly appreciated, yes," Dominic said dryly. "Be careful."

"When am I not?" I asked, grinning.

Dominic just raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "Yeah. Work on that," he said, heading into the entry hall.

When I heard the front door slam shut, I turned and hurried up the stairs to my bedroom. Walking in, I left the door open, deciding to milk having the house to myself (and all the privacy I needed) for as long as I could.

Sitting down at my computer, I hit the power button. As soon as the screen powered up, it started beeping- the loud, obnoxious sound I was always happy to hear.

Quickly glancing at the box in the corner, I saw that I was receiving a Skype call from Hazel. Grinning, I clicked the 'Accept' button, ceasing the beeping.

"Hey Percy!" Hazel greeted as soon as her face popped up on my computer.

"Hi, Haze," I said, shooting her a crooked smile. "That call came in pretty fast. What were you doing, waiting for me to get on?"

"Maybe," Hazel said, cocking her head at me. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and she was clad in a large sweatshirt. "We haven't spoken in ages. I was beginning to think you forgot about us," she teased, raising an eyebrow.

I scoffed. "Me? Forget about you guys? As if I could. Your pictures don't let me, anyways," I said, gesturing to the various photographs showcased around my room.

Hazel laughed lightly. "Yeah, that was what Gwen was hoping for," she said, rocking backwards in her chair. "She isn't exactly happy that you went back to America. None of us are, actually."

I sighed, running a hand through my already messy hair in exasperation. "It might have been simpler to just stay in England at the rate things are going here," I muttered under my breath.

Hazel, of course, being the vigilant girl she was, picked up my words even with how quiet I said them. "What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

I flexed my fingers absentmindedly, frowning at my desk. "Things have gotten complicated over here," I admitted. "It turns out my dad's work is coming back to haunt him, and it's put me in danger."

Hazel looked confused for a moment before realization lightened her expression. "Oh," she said, frowning deeply in concern. "Oh, no, Percy."

"Yeah," I agreed. "He's left for two weeks to go follow up on leads, but I don't know if it's actually going to turn out any results. And until them, I'm pretty much grounded; I can't get out of the house, really, except for school."

"Maybe it's for the best," Hazel suggested, still looking worried. "I hate to think what any of those people could do to you. I'm guessing you're being threatened because you're the only thing Poseidon really cares about?"

"Pretty much," I agreed. "And, being the overprotective parent he is, he thinks any time I take a step out of the house I'll get jumped. They already broke into our house."

"Broke into your house?" Hazel asked in surprise. "How'd they do that?"

"That's exactly the point; I don't know!" I exclaimed, sighing deeply.

Hazel was quiet for a moment, frowning at something out of the screen. "Percy, you don't… you don't think this has anything to do with, you know, your past?"

I blinked, staring at her. "My past?" I asked.

"I know Gabe's in jail, but…" Hazel trailed off.

I shook my head frantically. "No, no, he's in jail for life," I said quickly. "There's no way he could get out. The police wouldn't let him."

Hazel still looked doubtful, but she nodded with what looked like fake confidence. "Of course," she said, tugging her lips into a smile. "He can't come back. How silly of me."

I swallowed thickly. "Mhmm," I said, tapping my foot subconsciously on the ground. "So… um, how are things with you?" I asked awkwardly.

Hazel shrugged, a look of relief crossing her face at the subject change. "Alright, I guess. I can't wait to visit in a few weeks, Gwen's going crazy with the wait- you know how much visiting America means to her…"

I grinned. "Don't I," I agreed.

Hazel opened her mouth to say something else, but she was interrupted by a shout from her side of the call. "Hazel!" a feminine voice called. "I need your help with something!"

"That's Mother," Hazel said, glancing over her shoulder. "I have to go, Percy."

"Alright," I said, slightly disappointed. "I'll talk to you another time, alright?"

"'Course!" Hazel said brightly, smiling at me. "See you later, Perce."

"Bye, Hazel."

She disconnected the call. I sat there staring at the blank computer screen for another few moments, unable to get up or move or do anything at the moment.

Gabe, escape from jail and come back to get me? No, the idea was too outlandish, even with my rotten luck. When he was arrested, it was for life; not even my completely evil and crazy stepfather could escape from that.

Could he?

"What did she mean, your past?"

I jumped almost a foot into the air, whirling around as someone spoke from right behind me. Thinking it to be a threat, I poised myself, ready to fight or run, whatever the situation called for.

Rachel only raised an eyebrow. She was leaning in the open doorway, arms crossed, watching me with narrowed eyes.

"Rachel," I said, relaxing. "God, you scared me. How the heck did you get in here?"

"Door was unlocked," Rachel said casually, walking inside. "You really should work on that. From what I hear, you're in danger."

I slowly sank back into the chair. "How much of that conversation did you hear?" I asked cautiously.

"Enough," she said shortly, dropping onto my bed. She watched me closely, her green eyes calculating and suspicious. "Enough to ascertain my beliefs that you're hiding something."

I sighed. "Rachel-" I started.

"No, Percy," Rachel said sharply. "I don't want to listen to your excuses, which I'm sure you have quite a lot of. I heard what that girl was saying clear as day. All this stuff… your father's work, coming back to haunt him, which is putting you in danger; that cryptic stuff about your past, and that guy- Gabe, or whatever- he's in jail, and you're connected to him. I really wish you would just tell me what's going on, Percy, because I'm starting to get the craziest ideas, and I'm going to keep coming up with them until you tell me the truth. I wouldn't think it very strange if you and your father were- were spies, or superheroes or something. And your secretive behavior isn't helping matters any. I want to help you, Percy, I want to be your friend, but how can I when you hide things from me so easily? You don't even act like it bothers you at all."

"It does, Rachel," I said quickly. "Trust me, I wish I could tell you…"

"Well why can't you?" Rachel asked, glaring at me. Her red hair looked like fire as she glowered at me. "Give me one good reason why you can't just tell me the truth, Percy."

I stared at her. "I- well- it's complicated," I said lamely, wracking my brain for something to say. Now that I thought about, there was no true reason as to why I couldn't tell her. I trusted her, didn't I? And maybe it would be better to just come clean; certainly talking to her would be a lot easier when I didn't have to carefully watch everything I say.

"Exactly!" Rachel exclaimed, pointing at me in accusation. "You have no reason at all not to tell me other than 'it's complicated!' _What's _so complicated, Percy? I have plenty of time, no story is too long!"

"Rachel-"

"Please, Percy," Rachel said, meeting my eyes. She wasn't begging, or pleading; she was simply asking me, friend to friend, to tell her the truth.

And that's when I knew it was time to finally let her know what was going on, everything about my mixed-up, complicated life.

"Alright," I said quietly.

Rachel blinked, obviously surprised she had actually gotten me to give in. "Alright?" she asked.

"Alright," I agreed, "I'll tell you. You're right. I guess I was just… scared to tell you."

"Scared?" Rachel asked in surprise. "Why would you be scared to tell me about your past? Surely it can't be that bad, right?"

"Oh, you have no idea," I mumbled under my breath. Taking a deep breath, I turned to meet Rachel's gaze head on, not shying away from the intense green.

"Rachel, have I ever told you about my stepfather?"

* * *

Annabeth's POV

"Annabeth, look!"

Bobby came skidding into my room, holding a paper in his hand. I looked up from my computer, glancing over my shoulder.

"Yes, Bobby?"

"I drew a picture!" Bobby said eagerly, waving the paper in the air.

Quickly hitting the save button on my document, I spun around in my chair to look at him face-to-face. "Oh, really?" I asked, leaning back to avoid getting smacked in the face by his artwork. "What of?"

"You and Percy!" he said excitedly.

I stiffened, frowning. Reaching out for the paper, I peered down at it. Two stick figures were drawn, side-by-side; one with curly blond hair and one with messy black hair. The blond was labeled 'Annabeth Chase', the black-haired boy labeled 'Percy Jackson'.

I forced a smile, looking back down at Bobby. "It's really good, Bobby," I said, going to hand it back to him.

Bobby shook his head, giving me a toothy smile. "It's for you," he said, taking a step back. "I thought you might be missing Percy."

I looked down at the paper, a wistful expression on my face. "Thanks, Bobby," I forced out in a quiet voice. "This means a lot."

"Annabeth!" I heard Mrs. Chase call from downstairs.

"I gotta go, Mathew and I need to watch our show," Bobby said before turning and sprinting out of the room.

I sighed, carefully folding the paper in front as I stood. Making my way into the hall and downstairs, I walked into the kitchen where Mrs. Chase was standing at the sink.

"Yeah?" I asked, strolling in.

Mrs. Chase glanced at me over her shoulder. "Hello, dear," she said, smiling. "I was wondering what you wanted for dinner."

I shrugged, sitting down at the table. "What do the boys want?"

Mrs. Chase shot me a look.

"Pizza?" I guessed.

"What else?" Mrs. Chase sighed. "It's all they seem to want…"

"It's just a stage," I assured her. "Don't all boys have an obsession with pizza?"

"I suppose so," Mrs. Chase agreed. Glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, she went on, "Speaking of guys…"

I groaned. "I don't want to hear this," I said, fingering the paper.

Mrs. Chase chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'll stay out of your love life." Catching sight of the paper, she frowned curiously. "What's that?"

"Oh, this?" I asked, looking down at Bobby's gift. "It's a drawing of me and Percy from Bobby."

Mrs. Chase's frown deepened. "You and Percy?"

I sighed. "Yes," I muttered. "The twins seem to think we should get married. If they only knew that's never going to happen…"

"I don't know…" Mrs. Chase said softly. "You two were awful close."

"But we aren't anymore," I said resolutely. "People change, they grow apart. And that's precisely what happened to us. It was dumb teenage love, it didn't really mean anything…"

Mrs. Chase shot me a sharp look. "Annabeth Chase, don't you say that. Of _course _it meant something. I saw the way you two acted, that was more than just a teenage fling. You were both inexperienced, yes, and you may be fighting now, but I strongly believe things will work out in the end."

I looked at her doubtfully. "You really think so?"

"I really do," she said, turning to the sink and grabbing a dish towel. "Percy-"

She stopped, staring at the window. I looked up at her, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Someone was at the window," she mumbled, crossing over to it. Peering outside, she shook her head, looking troubled. "I could have sworn someone ducked down as soon as I looked over."

I stood up, hurrying to join her. Glancing outside, all I saw was the empty garden, devoid of any human life. "There's no one there," I said, glancing down at the flower beds just below the window sill.

Mrs. Chase took a step away, shaking her head. "Hmm," she said softly. "I must have been imagining it…"

"Maybe it was just one of the neighbor's children," I suggested. "They're always poking their heads around here."

"Yes… yes, you're right of course," Mrs. Chase said, shaking herself off. Sighing, she tossed the towel back onto the counter. "I have to get going."

"Where?" I asked curiously, walking back over to the table to pick up the drawing.

"To pick up a pizza," Mrs. Chase said resignedly, reaching for her purse.

* * *

,

**A/N: Well… it wasn't THAT bad of an update time, considering I'm already halfway through season two of Merlin (WHICH IS GOING TO KILL ME), even with my hectic schedule…**

**The thing is, I really don't know where this story's going. So I have to invent it as I go along, which isn't super easy. I guess you could say I have writer's block, and I've been leaning towards more angsty one-shots, if you haven't noticed… and I'm writing a new story where Nico gets adopted by Paul and Sally, so keep your fingers crossed that I actually finish it!**

**I found all these awesome comics with Percy in Tartarus, and I've been laughing my butt off. *First thing Percy says in Tartarus: "This isn't your average every day darkness. This is… ****_advanced _****darkness!"* And there's a pic of Spongebob there holding up a flashlight. I can totally see Percy doing that!**

**No? Okay.**

**DID YOU GUYS HEAR ABOUT ALL THE NEW BOOKS RICK RIORDAN IS WRITING? I can't- I just- Greek mythology- Percy- gah-**

**Right, now I'm rambling. Thanks for the reviews, and please leave one for this chapter! I'll *try* to update soon!**

**Xoxo,**

**Kayla**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Percy's POV

Rachel listened to my story completely silently. When I first began and mentioned the abuse, her face paled slightly, but other than that she sat stock still and quiet, staring at my desk with a calculating gaze. I tried not to look at her as I spoke, but I couldn't help shooting glances at her every now and then; how was she taking it?

Truth be told, I couldn't tell. She seemed to have mentally prepared herself for whatever the truth would be, and was showing no reaction other than her uncharacteristically serious face. Her freckles stuck out even more than usual on her white skin.

When I got to my fight with Annabeth, I kept my voice as steady and flat as I could, but couldn't help the pang that shot through my heart. Speaking about her just reminded me of the scene I had witnessed between her and Luke in the park, and that was something I didn't want to revisit. Swallowing thickly, I forced myself to look at Rachel, her shrewd green eyes and frizzy red hair bringing me back to my story. I couldn't afford to think about Annabeth at a time like this; not when I was basically laying my whole life's story out for Rachel to see.

I didn't go into detail about my trip to England, but skipped right into the current events, and the real reason my father was gone at the moment.

"And… well, that's it," I finished lamely, unsure of how to end my grand story. I awkwardly reached up to rub the back of my neck. "That's everything, I swear. I don't know what my dad's going to find on his trip, or what the heck is going on, but that's all I know."

Now that I had finished, I couldn't bring myself to look at Rachel. I wasn't sure of whether she was looking at me or what her expression would tell me, so I took great interest in the floor. Maybe my dad was right. _I really should clean a bit,_ I noted as I kicked at a water bottle lying under my bed.

Finally, Rachel spoke, her voice crisp and clear after ten minutes of me talking. "Well, it's a good thing Gabe's in jail, because I would have killed him otherwise," she said matter-of-factly, anger underlying her words.

Raising an eyebrow, I looked up at her. I expected her to be glaring at something, angry at my step-father, but instead I met her gaze. Her expression was soft and… pitying? I felt myself bristle despite myself. If there's one thing I hated, it was pity.

"Don't look at me like that," I muttered.

Rachel blinked. "Like what?"

"Like you're sorry for me," I snapped at her. "You don't need to be."

Rachel sighed. "I know I don't," she said quietly. "I just… oh, Percy, I'm sorry for pressuring you into telling me, I shouldn't have-"

"No," I said, relaxing a little. "It's fine. It was my choice to tell you, and it was a risk I took. And you know what? I'm glad I did. I don't like keeping secrets from you, Rachel."

Rachel shot me a small smile. "Yeah, I don't like it much either," she said. Taking a deep breath, she rested her chin on her fist, looking at me closely. "You really are more than meets the eye, Percy Jackson," she said thoughtfully.

I grinned at her. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should," Rachel said. Then she sat up, her expression somber again. "Right then, about this whole 'break-in', 'people out to kill you' stuff…"

I sighed. "Rachel, honestly, I think I'll be okay."

"I think you're taking this too lightly."

"I'm not going to let them scare me," I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "That's what they want to do, obviously. Scare my father and me."

"And hurt you," Rachel added.

"That too," I admitted. "But I'm not going to crawl under a rock and live my life in fear just because some people are out to get me. I have confidence that my father and his agency will find whoever's doing it, and it's not like I'm not going to go around and take any unnecessary risks. As long as I stay alert and don't do anything stupid, I should be fine."

Rachel was quiet, frowning at the ground. "We have a problem, then," she mumbled.

I stared at her. "What?"

Rachel looked up seriously, meeting my eyes. "Everything you do is stupid," she said slowly.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks," I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome!" Rachel chirped, still frowning slightly. "So… you don't think what Hazel said is true, right? Gabe's in jail like, for sure?"

I clenched my jaw. "Yes, he is in jail for sure," I said tightly. "And for good. He isn't coming out; there's no way a pig like him could get off his lazy butt and plot an escape, anyways. No, there's someone else spearheading this attack."

"And you're sure you're not going to be like, stabbed in your sleep?" Rachel asked worriedly.

I tightened my fists ever so slightly, but tried to brush off her worries. "Well, at least I won't have to turn in my homework if it does happen," I said halfheartedly.

Rachel gave me a sharp look. "Don't joke about this, Percy. Really, are you sure you don't want to stay at my place or something?"

I shook my head stubbornly. "Rach, seriously, I'll be okay. Leaving me alone for a few nights is not going to kill me."

"Yes, but-"

"Want to get something to eat?" I asked abruptly, hopping to my feet. I felt uncomfortable with the conversation all about me; I had to change it to something else.

Rachel gave me a sharp look, like she knew exactly what I was doing, but she didn't call me out on it. Instead, she got to her feet as well, brushing non-existent dust off her holey jeans. "Pizza?" she asked.

"I'll pay," I said with a smile.

* * *

Annabeth's POV

It was lunch hour in Vincenzo's, and quite busy. I sat at a booth in the corner, flicking through the note-laden pages of my notebook and absentmindedly twirling the straw of my glass of water. I had ordered half an olive pizza fifteen minutes ago, but I wasn't too concerned with the wait. I had plenty of time to kill, and it's not like I had anywhere better to look through my stuff. At least this could be counted as semi-social; I mean, there were people around. That's a plus.

The door opened for the millionth time it seemed like, the tinkling little bed cutting through my thoughts. Irritated, I glanced up to shoot it a glare, but the look died on my face when I saw who came in.

Thalia had entered, ducking into the pizza shop. She frowned dismally when she saw the long line at the counter, and a flash of irritation crossed her face. Looking around at the restaurant, I noticed that all the tables were empty. If she really wanted to eat here, she was going to have to wait quite a while.

And suddenly, the prospect of eating lunch alone seemed unbearable. I was sick of being alone, and as much as I hated having to swallow my pride, I knew what I needed to do.

Clearing my throat, I called across the room, "Thalia."

The girl started, looking around for the source of the voice. When her gaze fell on me, her expression hardened slightly, and she raised an eyebrow across the room.

I rolled my eyes before gesturing for her to come over. Rather reluctant, it seemed (thanks, Thalia), Thalia picked her way through the tables, weaving through the customers to finally arrive at my table.

She stood uncertainly in front of it, staring at me with her electric blue eyes, a lot harder than they would have been if they were on good terms. "Yes?" she asked in a sharp voice, as though daring me to say something to her- anything.

I blinked, slightly taken-aback by her attitude. But I supposed I deserved it. Well, here goes nothing.

"The restaurant's crowded," I said slowly, pointing out the obvious. "It looked like you wanted to eat here, so… I was wondering if you, you know…"

"Wanted to sit with you?" Thalia asked flatly.

I smiled at her hopefully. "I don't bite."

"Hmm," Thalia said doubtfully. She frowned for a moment before saying, "I'm sure you've already ordered, though."

"You can share my food," I offered. "I got half of an olive pizza."

Thalia wrinkled her nose. "Olives?" she asked distastefully.

I shot her a look. "You can pick them off," I pointed out.

Thalia seemed to weigh her options: she could either sit with me and get free pizza, or attempt to fend for herself in the crowded restaurant. She puckered her lips slightly as she thought, a little tick she had had for her whole life.

Eventually her love of free food outweighed the con of sitting with me.

"Alright," she said heavily, as though she were granting me a huge favor. "I guess I can sit with you."

She slid into the seat across from me, her posture stiff and her face emotionless. I smiled slightly, pleased that our relationship wasn't so broken that she could still sit with me decently. I reached for my water and took a sip of it. In the awkward silence that ensued, the only sound was that of the ice cubes clinking together in my cup, a metallic, wet sound that quietly filled the air.

Thalia cleared her throat. "So… what's up?" she asked, obviously at a loss for what to say. The awkward silence bothered her just as much as it bothered me.

My heart clenched, and I felt the need to tell Thalia what was going on. She would know what to do; my conflicting emotions about Luke and Percy were eating me alive. The kiss with Luke hadn't been bad, of course, it had been quite enjoyable, really. But it wasn't what I thought it would be, and the look on Percy's face after he had witnessed the kiss made me feel nauseous. Of course, he just _had _to have been walking through the park at that exact moment. As though my luck couldn't get any worse.

"Nothing," I said out loud. "Just a lot studying, keeping up on schoolwork. You?"

Thalia glanced at the table, tapping her black-painted nails on the table. Looking at her closely, I could tell she was also hiding something; maybe she had something to tell me, just as much as I wanted to tell her. But, tense as our relationship was, she obviously wasn't going to tell me anything.

"Nothing," she said, repeating me. "Just a lot of not-studying."

I grinned halfheartedly. "Same old Thalia," I muttered.

Thalia sat up straighter. "What does that mean?" she asked indignantly.

I shot her a look. "Oh, come on. You know you're a slacker when it comes to schoolwork. You always have been."

"Yes, but there's no reason to say anything about it," Thalia muttered. "I don't say anything about your genius-status."

"Yes you do," I said dryly. "And I'm not a genius."

Thalia snorted. "Sure you aren't."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Yes."

We stared at each other, neither of us blinking. Her face was expressionless, but held a kind of intensity as she stubbornly held my gaze. Her eyes barely watered despite the fact that she wasn't blinking. Neither of us looked away for a while, each of us determined to best the other. It was a test of wills; who would be the first to look away, to give in to the tension rapidly growing between us? I was strongly reminded of a staring contest and wondered vaguely how it must look to people watching us. Like we were trying to read each other's mind, probably. At this point, I almost expected her scathing thoughts to pop up in my mind as if by magic.

Then, as one, we burst into laughter. Thalia's shoulders shook as she laughed, and I ducked my head down, grinning at my lap. As our concentration broke, so did the tension. It almost felt like we were still friends, just messing around like we used to before we were pulled apart. When we had calmed down some, I looked back up to see Thalia watching me, the ghost of her laughter still playing on her face.

"Annabeth, what are we doing?" she asked abruptly, joking manner dying completely.

I stared at her. "Well, _I_ was laughing. I don't know what you-"

"No, not that," Thalia said impatiently. "Gee, and I thought you were smart. I'm talking about our fight."

I sighed. I knew this would come up eventually. It had been put off too long. "I can't even remember what it's really about, anymore," I admitted. "We both got a bit mad."

"A bit?" Thalia asked in disbelief.

"A lot," I conceded. I bit my lip. "But Thalia, that's expected. Our personalities are too different to _not _clash every once in a while. It was a wonder we held on that long. Difference of opinions is enough to cause an argument, but it got way too out of hand, and it didn't benefit either of us. I think now that we've had a nice break and are cooled down, we might be able to… work things out. That is, if you want to. I understand if-"

"Yes," Thalia said.

I blinked at her interruption. "-you- what?"

"Yes," Thalia repeated. "Not talking to you sucks, Annabeth. I haven't been able to talk to _anyone. _I mean, Nico, yeah, and Percy and Grover, but they're _guys_." She said the word like it was some sort of taboo. "And they aren't as smart as you. Nico's advice is the absolute worst."

I grinned. "Don't I know it," I said.

Thalia smiled before her expression turned serious again. "So… are we good? Like, for real?"

I took a deep breath. "Yeah," I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Yeah, Thalia, I think we're good. I'm sorry for being an idiot. I haven't been myself lately."

"I've noticed," Thalia said, smiling widely at me. She rested her elbows on the table, leaning closer to me. "How's Luke's gang?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

My stomach twisted uncomfortably. "Fine, I guess," I said, leaning back in my seat to get away from her scrutinizing look. "They're not bad or anything."

"You seem real close to Luke," Thalia noted.

I touched a hand to my chin, wondering if I should tell her. Then I sighed, dropping my hand back to my lap. "It's complicated," I said wryly. "I don't know how I feel about him."

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "You don't…. _like _him, do you?"

"No!" I protested. "I mean- oh, I don't know. My thoughts are all jumbled up; I don't know what to think. I should like him. He's really sweet and kind and handsome, and so… perfect. But there's a part of me that…"

"Can't let go of Percy," Thalia said, nodding.

"I didn't say that," I snapped at her.

"You didn't have to," Thalia said, unfazed by my sharp tone. "I stand by what I've always believed. No matter how much you two have screwed it up, you still make a wonderful couple. But it's up to you guys, of course, I can't dictate your relationship."

I flicked at my cup, looking down at the wetness that coated my finger. "I don't _know_, Thalia," I said, frowning down. "I mean… he's just… and I… ugh!"

"You don't have to force yourself to make a decision," Thalia reminded me. "But you can't take forever. That Rachel girl seems to be taking up a lot of his time. And I'm pretty sure she has a crush on him."

I glowered at my hands. "I know," I muttered. "She kind of just popped out of nowhere. I don't like her."

"Of course you don't," Thalia said, rolling her eyes. "She's stealing your man."

"He's not my man!" I said hotly.

"Whatever you say," Thalia said airily. The bell rang again, and she glanced up. When she saw who had entered, her face darkened. "Speak of the devil," she breathed.

Confused, I glanced behind me. I had to bite back a groan when I saw Percy and Rachel walk in, looking around the restaurant. Seriously? Were there gods up there who just enjoyed making y life more complicated than it needed to be? What had I ever done wrong?

Don't answer that.

Thalia was watching me. "We can duck if you want," she offered. "They won't see us if we hide now."

"No," I said, squaring my shoulders. "I'm not going to hide. You probably want to sit with him. Go on, you can call them over. I don't mind."

Thalia still looked doubtful, but she glanced over. "Percy!" she hollered.

Percy looked over at her- as did half the restaurant. Thalia, completely unfazed by the amount of attention she was getting, waved him over. "Come on, Kelp Head."

Percy glanced at Rachel, said something, then started towards us. The red-head trailed after him, and I had to fight to keep a sour expression off my face. She looked like a puppy following her master around.

When they reached the table, Percy stopped. I could feel more than see him shoot a quick glance at me before he spoke. "Yeah?" he asked lightly.

"Sit with us," Thalia said, scooting around the booth to free up room for them. "Unless, of course, you want to wait three hours for a table to open up…"

Rachel pushed her hair back. "You sure?" she asked, cocking her head slightly.

"Yes, we're sure," I spoke up. Forcing a smile, I said, "Who am I to deprive you of a seat?"

Percy shot me a small smile before slipping in. "Thanks," he said gratefully. "I don't think I've ever seen this place so packed."

"Welcome to New York!" Thalia said brightly as Rachel plopped down in the seat next to Percy.

"We should probably order," she said, glancing around for a waitress.

"You can share mine," I offered politely. "That is, if you don't mind olives."

Rachel frowned. "I hate olives," she said, furrowing her eyebrows.

I clenched my jaw and fought back a sarcastic remark. Percy gave her a side-long look before looking directly at me. "We'd love to share with you," he said, giving me a small smile. "Thank you for the offer."

I met his gaze. "Of course," I said, feeling the weight of all things unspoken in our gaze. We didn't say anything; even if we had been alone, I'm not sure what I would have said if given the chance. What could I say at this point?

The loudspeaker crackled to life. "Number forty-two, number forty-two, your order is ready."

I broke the stare-down between Percy and I to look down at my crinkled receipt. "Oh, that's me," I said, seeing the number printed at the bottom. "I'll go grab the pizza."

"No, it's alright," Thalia spoke up before I could get up. "The least we can do is get it for you, since you're sharing. Right, Rachel?"

Rachel looked surprised, but she masked it quickly with a smile. "Oh, yeah," she said, sliding out of the booth. Thalia and I will get it."

"Thanks," I said, shooting Thalia a look. I knew exactly what she was going, and I was going to wring her neck when Percy left.

Thalia just grinned. "I can get out on my own," she said, ducking under the table.

A few moments later she popped up on the other side, brushing her hands off. "Come along, Rachel," she said, marching off into the crowd. The red-head trailed after her, shooting a glance over her shoulder at the near-empty table left behind. As I watched them disappear into the throngs of people, I realized it would be a couple of minutes before they came back.

Joy.

I looked back over at Percy. He was looking at the table, not meeting my eyes. I took the chance to observe him, and it struck me just how much he had changed. His black hair, shaggy as it was, hung across his face. All traces of baby fat had disappeared from his face, and he was tanner than ever despite the fact autumn was fast turning to winter.

I rubbed my hands together under the table, tapping my foot on the ground. I couldn't take the silence. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, and I was sure that after another few minutes of it I would explode.

Percy raised his eyes to mine and spoke. "How's your family doing?" he asked.

I smiled lightly. "Fine. The twins have been on a pizza binge, they won't touch anything but the stuff. My mother's desperately trying to turn them off of it, but you know them; stubborn as a mule."

He laughed, easygoing and light. "They get it from their sister," he said wisely.

I scowled at him, but couldn't keep off the smile that played on my lips. "And what's that supposed to mean, Jackson?" I asked stoutly.

Percy shot me a fleeting look, eyebrows raised. "Nothing, nothing," he said, sniffing pompously.

I laughed, shaking my head. "You're an idiot," I muttered, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Yeah, I've realized that by now," Percy said cheerfully. His happy expression fell a bit, and he looked at me closely. "Annabeth…. About the thing at the park…"

I clenched my fist sharply. "Percy-"

"No, it's okay," Percy said, smiling at me. "I'm glad you've moved on. I was just… surprised, is all. Sorry about running off like that."

"It's alright," I said mechanically. "I don't blame you."

Percy sighed, lifting one shoulder into a half-shrug. "Hey, Luke's a great guy. And it's no wonder he fell for you."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?" I asked, prompting him to continue.

Percy returned my gaze steadily, but I could see a slight flush coloring his cheeks. "You're one-of-a-kind, Annabeth Chase," he said carefully, not seeming embarrassed in the slightest. "He's lucky to have you."

Surprised, I met his gaze. He stared back with those deep green eyes, and I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind: "The twins miss you," I said abruptly.

Percy looked slightly amused. "Do they?"

"Yeah," I said, wiggling my toes, needing to move _something. _"A lot. You should come over and see them sometime."

"Sure," Percy said, smiling broadly. "I miss those kids, too."

"Would you like to come over for dinner sometime?" I asked politely.

Percy nodded. "I'd love to," he said firmly. "I'll have to check my schedule, of course. I'm pretty busy with an epic social life, you know…"

I snorted. "Yes, I'd hate to interrupt Grover and yours Disney movie marathons."

"Those are classics!" Percy defended.

"Of course they are," I said graciously.

Percy crossed his eyes at me, and I laughed. Suddenly, I wondered what would happen if I scooted closer to him. I mean, we were just talking, right? And it was kind of awkward, what with him all the way across the table like this. Shifting around a bit would mean I could hear him better, and vice versa…

"One olive pizza, piping hot and ready for consumption!"

Percy and I jumped as Thalia slammed the tray down in the middle of the table. I looked up to see her and Rachel watching the two of us: Thalia with a small smirk and Rachel with a frown. I quickly slid out of my seat, hopping up to let Thalia in.

"About time," I said, trying to mask my disappointment at their appearance. "I was beginning to think you'd fallen into a vat of pizza sauce."

"That's an interesting topping idea," Percy said, shooting a grin at me. I smirked back, sitting back down when Thalia had taken her seat.

I felt someone jab my thigh. I scowled over at Thalia, whose eyebrows were raised in disbelief. I just smiled at her, deciding not to answer the question in her look, and reached out to grab a slice of pizza.

"Olives," I announced, looking over at Rachel. The red-head met my gaze, and I raised my pizza to her as though toasting, cocking an eyebrow. "My favorite. Please, eat up."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, okay. Slow update. I'm sorry, I made the Allstar softball team, which means three practices a week, tournaments every weekend, and I have to stay on top of my other commitments. So, yes, I took a break, but I will be back on track as soon as I can.**

**To try and make up for it, I wrote a longer chapter and included a bit of Percabeth in there. Annabeth's getting competitive *waggles eyebrows* And I wanted Thalia and her to make up, so POOF there it is.**

**Thanks for all the reviews; they mean a lot! Please, leave one for this chapter and tell me what you think! I'll really work hard to update soon, but remember, I'm extremely busy. Cue sad face.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Xoxom**

**Kayla**


	12. Author's Note

**So sorry, but no, this is not a real chapter. Please read!**

**I'm sure you've all noticed, but I haven't been updating lately. Explanation: Business and writer's block.**

**I have a general idea where this story is going, but not enough. I'll sit down, determined to write another chapter, but it ends up as another filler as I try to work through where I believe it's going. And my interest level in it isn't a priority anymore, as I'm trying to focus on some other stories as well.**

**I'm NOT giving up this story; I'm just taking a little break, maybe a month or two before I'm ready to start fresh again. Just thought I'd give everyone a heads-up.**

**Again, I'm sorry, but I'll be up and running again soon. I don't need a ton of reviews of people telling me to just keep writing, because this is my decision, and I'll be back with another chapter in a few weeks.**

**Thanks!**

**-Kayla**


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